Entity Types

This section defines the core entity types in GENEALOGIX. Each entity represents a distinct concept in genealogical research and can be referenced, extended, and related to other entities.

Core Entities

Person

Represents an individual in the family archive. Contains personal identity information, names, events, and relationships.

Key Properties: Names, sex, occupation, residence
GEDCOM Equivalent: INDI (Individual Record)

Relationship

Represents connections between people such as spouse, parent-child, and other family relationships.

Key Properties: Relationship type, participants, start/end events
GEDCOM Equivalent: FAM (Family Record)

Event

Represents occurrences in time and place: births, marriages, deaths, baptisms, etc.

Key Properties: Type, date, place, participants, notes
GEDCOM Equivalent: BIRT, DEAT, MARR, BAPM, etc.

Place

Represents geographic locations forming a hierarchical structure. Supports multiple names and historical variations.

Key Properties: Name, type, hierarchy, coordinates, alternative names (via properties)
GEDCOM Equivalent: PLAC (Place structures)

Assertion

Represents an evidence-based conclusion about a specific genealogical fact. Forms the core of the GENEALOGIX assertion model.

Key Properties: Subject, property, value, citations/sources/media, confidence, status
GEDCOM Equivalent: Implicit (derived from GEDCOM structure and SOUR references)

Source

Represents a bibliographic resource or information source. Can be books, documents, databases, websites, etc.

Key Properties: Title, author, publication info, repository
GEDCOM Equivalent: SOUR (Source Record)

Citation

Represents a specific reference to evidence within a source. Links sources to specific pages, records, or items.

Key Properties: Source reference, locator, text from source, accessed date
GEDCOM Equivalent: SOUR.PAGE, SOUR.QUAY

Repository

Represents an institution or organization that holds genealogical sources (archives, libraries, databases, etc.).

Key Properties: Name, type, address, contact info, access restrictions
GEDCOM Equivalent: REPO (Repository Record)

Media

Represents digital or physical media objects associated with genealogical entities (photographs, documents, audio, etc.).

Key Properties: Title, URI, MIME type, description
GEDCOM Equivalent: OBJE (Object/Media Record)

Represents a documented research investigation, capturing every search performed (including searches that found nothing). Supports a "reasonably exhaustive search" per the Genealogical Proof Standard by treating negative evidence as a first-class outcome.

Key Properties: Subject, objective, status, searches, conclusions
GEDCOM Equivalent: None (no direct mapping)

Study

Represents the formal scope of a research project — One Place Studies, One Name Studies, family reconstructions, and brick-wall investigations. Studies declare which places, sources, and time period a project covers.

Key Properties: Title, type, status, date_range, places, sources
GEDCOM Equivalent: None (GLX-native)

Entity Relationships

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Person
  ├── participates in Events (birth, marriage, immigration, etc.)
  ├── has many Properties
  ├── has many Assertions (about properties)
  ├── depicted in Media (via media `properties.subjects`)
  └── participates in Relationships

Relationship
  ├── connects multiple Persons
  ├── has start/end Events
  └── has Assertions (about relationship properties)

Event
  ├── occurs at a Place
  ├── involves multiple Persons (via participants)
  ├── supported by Assertions
  └── referenced by Assertions

Place
  ├── has parent Place (hierarchy)
  ├── has alternative names (via properties)
  └── referenced by Events and Assertions

Assertion
  ├── references Person, Event, Relationship, or Place (typed `subject`)
  └── supported by Citations, Sources, and/or Media (at least one)

Source
  ├── held in Repository
  ├── referenced by Citations
  └── may have media

Citation
  ├── references Source
  ├── may reference Repository
  ├── supports Assertions
  └── references media

Repository
  ├── holds Sources
  └── referenced by Citations

Media
  ├── associated with any entity
  └── referenced by assertions/evidence

ResearchLog
  ├── may have a Subject (Person, Event, Relationship, or Place)
  ├── contains Search entries that reference Repositories, Sources, and Citations
  └── may produce Citations

Study
  ├── declares scope across Places (geographic boundary)
  ├── declares scope across Sources (record set in scope)
  ├── has date_range (temporal boundary)
  └── independent of evidence: tooling may intersect Study scope with
      Citations, Assertions, and Events to report coverage and progress

Entity Types ​

Core Entities ​

Entity Relationships ​

See Also ​

Entity Types

Core Entities

Entity Relationships

See Also