Slot: Linkage Method (linkage_method)

Linkage-method object — see envar_linkage.

Tier: core

Why this slot matters

Attaching a place-based value to a person is a lossy, choice-laden step (geocoding, point vs buffer extraction, date alignment) — the "linkage descriptor" gap the GECC/EIRENE forum names as central. Without it, two studies using the same data product can differ solely through undocumented joins.

In plain terms

Environmental data describes places, but health research is about people. This block records how the value for a place was attached to a particular person — for example, by looking up the map cell containing their home address — since that step involves real choices that affect the result.

URI: envar:slot/linkage_method

Applicable Classes

Name	Description	Modifies Slot
EnvironmentalExposureRecord	A single environmental-exposure record sidecar: the complete metadata graph t...	no
DailyMaxTemperatureRecord	Canonical record for daily maximum 2 m air temperature (Tmax)	no
DailyMinTemperatureRecord	Canonical record for daily minimum 2 m air temperature (Tmin)	no
WetBulbGlobeTemperatureOutdoorRecord	Canonical record for outdoor WBGT under the Liljegren 2008 formulation	no
ExtremeHeatDayFlagRecord	Canonical record for a daily binary extreme-heat-day flag, defined against a ...	no

Properties

Type and Range

Property	Value
Range	LinkageMethod
Domain Of	EnvironmentalExposureRecord
Slot Group	health_data_integration

Cardinality and Requirements

Property	Value
Required	Yes

Examples

Value
None

Identifier and Mapping Information

Annotations

property	value
tier	core
justification	Attaching a place-based value to a person is a lossy, choice-laden step (geocoding, point vs buffer extraction, date alignment) — the "linkage descriptor" gap the GECC/EIRENE forum names as central. Without it, two studies using the same data product can differ solely through undocumented joins.
explanation	Environmental data describes places, but health research is about people. This block records how the value for a place was attached to a particular person — for example, by looking up the map cell containing their home address — since that step involves real choices that affect the result.
covered_by	None

Schema Source

• from schema: https://w3id.org/linkml/microschemas/envar

Mappings

Mapping Type	Mapped Value
self	envar:linkage_method
native	envar:linkage_method

LinkML Source

name: linkage_method
annotations:
  tier:
    tag: tier
    value: core
  justification:
    tag: justification
    value: Attaching a place-based value to a person is a lossy, choice-laden step
      (geocoding, point vs buffer extraction, date alignment) — the "linkage descriptor"
      gap the GECC/EIRENE forum names as central. Without it, two studies using the
      same data product can differ solely through undocumented joins.
  explanation:
    tag: explanation
    value: Environmental data describes places, but health research is about people.
      This block records how the value for a place was attached to a particular person
      — for example, by looking up the map cell containing their home address — since
      that step involves real choices that affect the result.
  covered_by:
    tag: covered_by
    annotations:
      omop_gaia:
        tag: omop_gaia
        annotations:
          extent:
            tag: extent
            value: partial
          status:
            tag: status
            value: asserted
          where:
            tag: where
            value: working.spatial_join_exposure (st_within with hard-coded buffer),
              captured in gaia_db/spatial_join_log.txt
          note:
            tag: note
            value: 'Gaia''s linkage lives in the SQL-join semantics and its NOTICE
              log, not as a documented linkage-strategy column. Conservative: partial.'
      degauss:
        tag: degauss
        annotations:
          extent:
            tag: extent
            value: full
          status:
            tag: status
            value: verified
          where:
            tag: where
            value: geocoded CSV columns score, precision, geocode_result, matched_street/zip/city/state
          evidence:
            tag: evidence
            value: COMPARISON.md §B — geocoder match score ✅, precision ✅, geocode-result
              flag ✅ on every row
          note:
            tag: note
            value: DeGAUSS's linkage event (geocoding precision, match score, result
              flag, matched address) is first-class per row.
      amadeus:
        tag: amadeus
        annotations:
          extent:
            tag: extent
            value: absent
          status:
            tag: status
            value: asserted
          where:
            tag: where
            value: no column
          note:
            tag: note
            value: Amadeus collapses the address to lat/lon at the THREDDS request
              and records no linkage/geocoding quality.
      cher:
        tag: cher
        annotations:
          extent:
            tag: extent
            value: partial
          status:
            tag: status
            value: asserted
          where:
            tag: where
            value: table_column_dictionary reference_column_id + column_tag Foreign
              Reference / Spatial-Primary (cross-table join descriptors)
          note:
            tag: note
            value: 'C-HER models cross-table join references and spatial-column tags,
              but no patient-to-place linkage-strategy field. Conservative: partial.'
      codata:
        tag: codata
        annotations:
          extent:
            tag: extent
            value: out_of_layer
          status:
            tag: status
            value: asserted
          where:
            tag: where
            value: no column
          note:
            tag: note
            value: Patient-to-place linkage is instance-layer; out of scope for CODATA.
description: Linkage-method object — see envar_linkage.
title: Linkage Method
examples:
- description: abridged — see tests/data/valid/EnvironmentalExposureRecord-tmax_ideal.yaml
    for a full instance
  object:
    linkage_strategy: point_extraction_at_residence
    address_period_alignment: address_history_from_emr
    clinical_date_assignment_convention: local_midnight
    lag_alignment_applied: none
from_schema: https://w3id.org/linkml/microschemas/envar
rank: 1000
domain_of:
- EnvironmentalExposureRecord
slot_group: health_data_integration
range: LinkageMethod
required: true
inlined: true