CRUP-OMAF Hybrid Rubric
Full Draft (v0.1)
Scoring Scale
1 – Very Weak
2 – Weak
3 – Moderate
4 – Strong
5 – Exceptional
Axis I — Completeness
1. Grounding
Does the ontology clearly state its foundational principle(s)?
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No clear foundation; vague or assumed. |
| 2 |
Foundation stated but poorly defined or inconsistent. |
| 3 |
Clear basis with some unresolved assumptions. |
| 4 |
Well-defined, coherent grounding; explicitly justified. |
| 5 |
Foundational principle is clear, justified, and integrated into all aspects. |
2. Manifestation
How well does it explain how being appears/operates?
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No account of manifestation. |
| 2 |
Minimal description; lacks operational clarity. |
| 3 |
Adequate description; works for central cases. |
| 4 |
Clear, detailed account covering core and edge cases. |
| 5 |
Comprehensive, precise, and operationally testable. |
3. Persistence
Why does the domain endure or recur?
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No explanation for persistence. |
| 2 |
Ad hoc or context-specific persistence. |
| 3 |
General mechanism proposed; partly justified. |
| 4 |
Well-supported mechanism; explains stability/change. |
| 5 |
Robust, widely applicable persistence mechanism, integrated with grounding & manifestation. |
4. Boundaries
Are the limits of the domain defined and respected?
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No boundaries; applies everywhere by fiat. |
| 2 |
Boundaries implied but vague or shifting. |
| 3 |
Clear boundaries with some ambiguities. |
| 4 |
Well-defined, justified boundaries; mostly respected. |
| 5 |
Boundaries explicit, justified, operationalized; consistently respected. |
Axis II — Robustness
1. Internal Coherence
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
Contradictory or self-defeating. |
| 2 |
Mostly coherent but with major gaps. |
| 3 |
Generally coherent; minor inconsistencies. |
| 4 |
Consistent, with clear definitions. |
| 5 |
Fully coherent; definitions precise, no contradictions. |
2. Domain Validity
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
Fails on many domain cases. |
| 2 |
Works only for narrow subset. |
| 3 |
Handles central cases; some edge case failures. |
| 4 |
Works for most cases, including challenging ones. |
| 5 |
Universally applicable within domain. |
3. Objectivity / Reflexivity
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No awareness of own assumptions. |
| 2 |
Limited awareness; ignores implications. |
| 3 |
Acknowledges some assumptions; partially self-applicable. |
| 4 |
Explicit about assumptions; applies reflexively. |
| 5 |
Fully self-aware and reflexive; withstands multiple perspectives. |
4. Explanatory Power
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
Explains little or nothing. |
| 2 |
Explains some aspects; lacks depth. |
| 3 |
Adequate explanatory coverage. |
| 4 |
Explains well, with rich insight. |
| 5 |
Explains comprehensively; unifies diverse phenomena. |
5. Resilience to Critique
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
Collapses under basic critique. |
| 2 |
Responds weakly to most critiques. |
| 3 |
Handles some critiques effectively. |
| 4 |
Responds to most critiques; adapts constructively. |
| 5 |
Anticipates, integrates, and strengthens from critique. |
Axis III — Pragmatic Usefulness
1. Operational Clarity
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No guidance for action/inquiry. |
| 2 |
Minimal guidance; vague steps. |
| 3 |
Some guidance; works for simple tasks. |
| 4 |
Clear guidance; works for complex tasks. |
| 5 |
Highly actionable; readily implementable. |
2. Integrability
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
Incompatible with other models/disciplines. |
| 2 |
Limited integration possible. |
| 3 |
Some integration; needs adaptation. |
| 4 |
Integrates smoothly with others. |
| 5 |
Highly interoperable; enhances other models. |
3. Heuristic Utility
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No new tools/concepts provided. |
| 2 |
Few tools; limited usefulness. |
| 3 |
Some useful concepts/tools. |
| 4 |
Rich set of tools; widely applicable. |
| 5 |
Exceptional heuristic value; generates new lines of inquiry. |
1. Cognitive Shift
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No change in perspective. |
| 2 |
Slight change; low impact. |
| 3 |
Moderate perspective shift. |
| 4 |
Significant change in thinking. |
| 5 |
Profound, lasting shift in worldview. |
2. Experiential Depth
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
No change in lived experience. |
| 2 |
Minimal impact on experience. |
| 3 |
Some deepening of engagement. |
| 4 |
Strong deepening of experience. |
| 5 |
Radically deepens and enriches experience. |
3. Generativity
| Score |
Description |
| 1 |
Generates no new interpretations. |
| 2 |
Rarely sparks new ideas. |
| 3 |
Occasionally generates new interpretations/models. |
| 4 |
Frequently sparks new interpretations/models. |
| 5 |
Exceptionally fertile; spawns new frameworks or practices. |
Note: Acknowledgements
The OMAF rubric draws conceptual inspiration from Toulmin’s model of argumentation, philosophical theory-appraisal frameworks (Lakatos, Thagard, Kuhn), and ontology evaluation methods in knowledge engineering (Gruber’s criteria, OntoClean, competency questions, OBO/FAIR principles). While OMAF is an original synthesis intended for universal application to accounts of being across any domain, it builds upon these prior contributions in both spirit and scope.
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