Document Lifecycle
Maintaining canonical identity and documentary continuity across time
The canonical Lattice Core corpus is maintained through a governed document lifecycle that distinguishes document identity, authority domain, publication state, version, supersession, and historical preservation.
The LSN Foundation stewards this lifecycle so that canonical material can evolve through governed change without silent replacement, documentary ambiguity, or loss of historical continuity.
The Lifecycle Principle
Identity Persists Across State
A canonical document has an identity and responsibility within the documentation framework independently of whether a particular public edition has been released.
Publication, revision, supersession, and archival preservation affect the state of a document or edition. They do not silently redefine the document's canonical role.
No Silent Replacement
Documentary continuity requires material changes to become visible through governed revision and identifiable versions rather than through unrecorded alteration of an existing public edition.
This preserves both the current canonical record and the historical context from which it developed.
Canonical Documentation Model
The lifecycle applies across the current Lattice Core documentation model while preserving the distinct responsibility of each canonical document.
LCGD
Governance.
Governs the governance framework, authority, change conditions, stewardship, document lifecycle, and governance constraints.
LCAD
Architecture.
Establishes Lattice Core architecture and controls architecture-level questions.
LCStD
Standards & Conformance.
Formalises normative standards and conformance requirements derived from LCAD.
LCSpD
Detailed Specification.
Provides detailed technical and functional specification derived from LCAD and LCStD.
LCED
Explanation.
Explains and contextualises canonical material without controlling governance, architecture, standards, or specification.
LCAAD
Architecture Atlas & Corpus Map.
Maps locations, relationships, navigation, and traceability without substantive authority over the material mapped.
Lifecycle Does Not Collapse Authority
Five documents hold substantive responsibilities within their respective domains. LCAAD is the non-substantive architectural atlas and corpus map.
Lifecycle stewardship applies across the corpus without changing those authority boundaries.
Document Identity
Canonical Role
A document's canonical identity establishes its role within the documentation framework and the subject matter for which it is responsible.
That identity is distinct from whether an edition is currently being prepared, verified, published, superseded, or retained historically.
Publication State
Publication state describes the public documentary condition of a particular document or edition.
A document can therefore exist within the canonical framework before publication of a public edition. Its Foundation landing page can record its role and authority domain without itself constituting publication of the document.
Canonical Document Records
Persistent Public Record
Each canonical document has a stable Foundation record that can describe its identity, responsibility, authority domain, relationship to the wider corpus, and applicable publication information.
The record persists even where the publication state of the document changes.
Record Is Not Publication
The existence of a document landing page does not by itself mean that a canonical edition has been publicly released.
Version, publication, and access information is recorded when formally established.
Publication States
The lifecycle can distinguish different public documentary states without changing the canonical identity of the document itself.
Canonical Record
The document exists within the canonical framework and has an identifiable responsibility and authority domain.
This state does not by itself assert that a public canonical edition has been released.
Published Edition
A formally released edition is identified through its document record together with the applicable version and publication information.
Superseded Edition
When a later governed edition replaces an earlier public edition, the earlier edition can be identified as superseded rather than silently overwritten.
Historical Record
Earlier editions and retired documentary structures can be retained where their preservation contributes to documentary continuity, provenance, or historical understanding.
Version Identity & Continuity
Identifiable Editions
Published editions should be identifiable so that a particular documentary state can be referenced without ambiguity.
Version identity separates a released edition from an indefinitely changing web surface and allows later changes to be represented as part of a visible documentary sequence.
Visible History
Version history provides a public record of formally established editions and their relationship across time.
It can distinguish current, superseded, and historical editions without treating every earlier state as presently controlling.
Governed Revision
Change Through Governance
Canonical documents are not treated as permanently immutable. They can evolve where governed change is required.
The conditions under which canonical material may change belong to the governance framework established by LCGD.
Change the Owning Source
Revision must occur in the canonical document responsible for the proposition being changed.
A downstream or lower-authority document cannot indirectly amend a proposition controlled by another canonical source.
Authority Across Versions
Version history and archival preservation do not alter the subject-matter authority of the canonical documentation model.
Governance remains a governance question. The applicable LCGD state controls governance conditions within the canonical framework.
Architecture remains an architectural question. The applicable LCAD state controls what Lattice Core is architecturally.
Standards and conformance remain an LCStD question. Historical or explanatory material cannot independently establish current normative requirements.
Detailed specification remains an LCSpD question. Historical specification can be preserved without becoming the controlling specification for a later canonical state.
Explanation does not override substantive authority. LCED can explain canonical material but does not control governance, architecture, standards, or specification.
Historical preservation does not imply current authority. Retaining an earlier edition preserves documentary history rather than making it the controlling current source.
Supersession
Replacing a Previous Edition
When governed change produces a later canonical edition, the documentary relationship between the new and previous editions should remain explicit.
Supersession identifies that a later state has replaced an earlier one without erasing the existence or provenance of the earlier edition.
Retired Structures
Documentary models and classifications can themselves be superseded through governance.
Historical structures may be retained for context where useful, but they do not continue to control the current corpus merely because they once did.
Historical Preservation
Document Archive
The document archive provides a public location for historical material that is no longer presented as the controlling current canonical state.
Preservation supports provenance and documentary continuity while keeping historical material distinguishable from current canonical records.
Preservation Without Confusion
Historical material should remain identifiable as historical or superseded material rather than being presented in a way that can be mistaken for a current controlling source.
The archive preserves history. The current document records identify the applicable canonical state.
LCGD & Document Lifecycle
Governance Responsibility
Document lifecycle is a governance responsibility within the canonical documentation model.
LCGD governs the framework through which canonical documents are maintained and changed, including the applicable governance conditions and lifecycle responsibilities.
This Page Does Not Establish Procedure
This page describes the lifecycle at the public governance level. It does not independently establish amendment procedures, approval requirements, versioning rules, or other normative governance mechanisms.
Those matters belong to LCGD where formally defined.
Foundation Stewardship
Maintaining the Documentary Framework
The LSN Foundation stewards the framework through which canonical documents are maintained, published, versioned, superseded, preserved, and made publicly identifiable.
This provides institutional continuity for the corpus across changes in individual editions and across time.
Stewardship Is Not Substantive Authority
Lifecycle stewardship does not transfer the subject-matter authority of canonical documents to the Foundation as an institution.
Governance, architecture, standards and conformance, detailed specification, explanation, and corpus mapping retain the boundaries established by the canonical documentation model.
Document Lifecycle Boundary
Canonical identity is distinct from publication state. A document can exist within the canonical framework before a public edition is released.
A landing page is not itself publication. Foundation document records can identify canonical roles and authority domains independently of public release.
Publication does not redefine authority. Releasing an edition does not alter the subject-matter responsibility assigned to that document.
Revision must be governed. Canonical change occurs through the applicable governance process rather than through silent alteration.
Supersession does not erase history. Earlier editions can remain identifiable after a later canonical state replaces them.
Historical preservation does not imply current authority. Archived material remains part of documentary history without becoming the controlling current source.
Governance Areas
Constitutional Stewardship
Durable governance of the canonical corpus while preserving explicit authority boundaries.
Standards Stewardship
Governance of the relationship between architecture, standards and conformance, detailed specification, and implementation.
Change Management
Controlled evolution of canonical material through the authority domain responsible for the proposition being changed.
Governance Overview
The Foundation's wider governance, stewardship, authority, and institutional boundaries.