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AAOE
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Knowledge Domains

Purpose

This specification defines how engineering knowledge is organized into Domains within the AAOE Body of Knowledge. Knowledge Domains improve discoverability, governance, maintainability, and long-term evolution.

Domain Principles

Knowledge Domains shall be:

  • cohesive
  • independently evolvable
  • technology agnostic
  • traceable
  • discoverable
  • minimally coupled
  • governance compliant

Domains organize knowledge. Domains do not establish engineering authority.

Domain Responsibilities

Each Domain is responsible for governing a coherent area of engineering knowledge.

Domains should:

  • define their scope
  • establish terminology
  • maintain internal consistency
  • preserve traceability
  • evolve independently

Domain Relationships

Domains may reference one another. Cross-domain references should remain explicit and traceable. Dependencies between domains should be minimized. Circular dependencies should be avoided whenever practical.

Core Domains

The initial AAOE Body of Knowledge consists of:

  • Governance
  • Operating Model
  • Discoveries
  • Standards
  • Reference Architectures
  • Case Studies

Additional Domains may be introduced as AAOE evolves.

Domain Evolution

Domains may:

  • expand
  • split
  • merge
  • become deprecated

Historical domain structures shall remain documented.

Domain Identification

Every Domain shall have:

  • unique identifier
  • descriptive name
  • documented purpose
  • defined scope

Domain identifiers remain stable over time.

Cross-Domain Traceability

Traceability may exist across Domains. Examples include:

  • Discoveries influencing Specifications
  • Specifications informing the Operating Model
  • Case Studies producing Discoveries
  • ADRs affecting Reference Architectures

Cross-domain relationships shall remain explicit.

Governance

Creation of new Domains should demonstrate:

  • a distinct body of knowledge
  • clear scope
  • minimal overlap
  • governance value
  • long-term maintainability

Domains should not be created solely for organizational convenience.

Future Evolution

Future Governance Specifications may define:

  • Domain Ownership
  • Publication Governance
  • Domain Maturity Models