Deep Logic of Why Interactions Deserve Their Own Entity in ERD - Entity-Relational Diagram

I realized that every interaction is an object label another object into different categories.

What interactions do? They label or categorize foundational objects in new ways. My understanding is that they is a group of foundational objects label / categorize another group of foundational objects. As a consequence, new attributes occur. That's the fundamental reason why wen need to create a new entity for this type of interactions.

🔹 Interactions as Object Labeling

When you say “every interaction is an object labeling another object into different categories”, you’re pointing to a deep truth:

• Foundational objects (vaults): Person, Manuscript, Interest.

• Interactions (ledgers): Assignment, Feedback, Publication.

• What interactions do: They label or categorize foundational objects in new ways.

Examples

• Assignment: Labels a Person as Reviewer or Editor in relation to a Manuscript.

• Feedback: Labels a Manuscript with quality categories (accepted, rejected, revise).

• Publication: Labels a Manuscript as published and assigns it to an Issue/Period.

So interactions aren’t just events—they’re categorization rituals that give objects new identities or states.

 The deep logic of why interactions deserve their own entity:

🔹 Interactions as Categorization Engines

• Foundational objects (vaults): Person, Manuscript, Interest.

• Interactions (ledgers): Assignment, Feedback, Publication.

  What happens:

• A group of foundational objects (e.g., Person + Manuscript + Editor)

• Labels or categorizes another group of foundational objects (e.g., Manuscript becomes “Assigned,” Person becomes “Reviewer”).

• This act of categorization creates new attributes that didn’t exist before (e.g., DateAssigned, Recommendation, IssueNumber).