Suite · Methodology

Certification Schema

The Certification Schema defines the structured format used to represent Certifier / certification-domain records consistently.

Certification schemas support consistent exchange and interpretation of certification information while preserving the independent canonical objects, authority, and schemas of other Suite institutions.

Scope Boundary

This is a certification-specific methodology surface. It governs certification-record representation, not universal Suite schemas.

Certification Schema → Certifier / certification-domain representation requirements.
Suite Schemas Standard → shared structural expectations.
Other Institutional Schemas → governed by the applicable institution.

CERTIFICATION SCHEMA ≠ UNIVERSAL SUITE SCHEMA.
SCHEMA ≠ CANONICAL OBJECT.
SCHEMA VALIDATION ≠ CERTIFICATION DETERMINATION.
SCHEMA FIELD ≠ AUTHORITY OVER THE REFERENCED CONCEPT.

Canonical Structure

Defines governed structural requirements for certification representations. The Certification Package remains the Certifier-owned canonical object.

Required Fields

Specifies mandatory identifiers, metadata, status values, evidence references, and certification information.

Validation

Determines whether a certification representation conforms to the applicable schema requirements. Structural conformance does not itself establish certification, publication, trust, or authority.

Interoperability

Supports exchange and interpretation of certification records across Suite systems without collapsing institutional schema ownership or authority.

Schema vs. Canonical Object

The Certification Package is the Certifier-owned canonical object. The Certification Schema defines representation rules for structured certification information.

Certification Package → canonical Certifier object.
Certification Schema → structured representation rules.
Illustrative JSON → explanatory example only.

MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIONS ≠ MULTIPLE AUTHORITIES.

Illustrative Structure

{
  "certification": {

    "id": "",

    "version": "",

    "standard": "",

    "status": "",

    "subject": {},

    "evaluation": {},

    "score": {},

    "evidence": [],

    "decision": {},

    "issued": "",

    "expires": "",

    "metadata": {}

  }
}

The structure shown above is illustrative only. Official certification schemas are published separately under the Satoshium Schemas Standard or applicable governed schema surface. The example does not define Attestor Trust Statement structure or create canonical ownership.

Attestor Boundary

Attestor independently governs its Eligible Governed Inputs, Attestations, Rule-Constrained Evaluation, Trust Statements, and any Attestor-specific schema structures.

CERTIFICATION SCHEMA ≠ ATTESTOR SCHEMA.
CERTIFICATION FIELD ≠ TRUST STATEMENT.
CERTIFICATION REPRESENTATION ≠ ATTESTOR CANONICAL OBJECT.

Governance Boundary

Schema changes may alter representation requirements, but they may not silently change institutional role, canonical ownership, Suite membership, authority allocation, or constitutional dependency.

SCHEMA CHANGE ≠ ARCHITECTURAL AUTHORITY.
SCHEMA SOPHISTICATION ≠ CANONICALIZATION.
CANONICALIZATION SIGNALS ≠ CANONICALIZATION.

Methodology Role

The Certification Schema translates governed certification information into structured, machine-readable representations that support consistency, interoperability, and long-term verification.

Methodology explains the process.
Schema defines representation structure.
Schema ≠ canonical object.