01
Where it fits—and where it doesn’t
Use these four checks before committing implementation time.
- Use it when
- Consent-aware discovery, data access review, and machine-readable permitted-use conditions in genomics and health research.
- Do not use it as
- Do not treat DUO as a complete solution on its own. Ontology matching cannot resolve jurisdiction, contract, consent nuance, expiry, or downstream duties without authoritative policy and human governance.
- Best for
- Teams working with Omics and Clinical and AI / ML data across Plan → Exchange → Learn + reuse.
- Maturity
- EstablishedEstablished enough for serious use; still pin the exact release and any implementation profile.
02
See it in the workflow
A standard creates value by changing a handoff, not by existing in a catalog.
- InputWhat starts
Omics and Clinical and AI / ML data, metadata, and the local decisions around them
- DUOWhat changes
DUO applies a shared ontology / data model across Plan → Exchange → Learn + reuse
- OutputWhat becomes possible
A more consistent, reviewable handoff for the next system or team
03
A concrete example
A repository annotates datasets and access requests with DUO terms, then uses the match as decision support within an accountable approval process.
Why it matters: Helps agents screen permitted uses, but does not establish lawful access, fairness, privacy protection, or security by itself.
04
What it fits with
Can be carried by Croissant use conditions and paired with GA4GH access infrastructure; policy metadata never replaces enforcement or legal review.
- Metadata vocabularyDPV
Both support Clinical and Omics and AI / ML work and meet around Plan, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - Ontology ecosystemOBO Foundry
Both support Clinical and Omics work and meet around Plan, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - Reference architectureDRS + WES
Both support Omics and Clinical work and meet around Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - Data model / schemaPhenopackets
Both support Clinical and Omics work and meet around Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship
05
Implementation starter
Start with one bounded handoff. Pin, test, and review it before scaling.
Name an accountable owner and the decision DUO must support.
Pin the exact version and companion artifacts: 1.0 · maintained GA4GH product.
Map one representative input to the required ontology / data model artifacts.
Test the result against the canonical source and record every exception.
Preserve the source data, mappings, and review evidence before scaling.
06
Limitation to test first—and the tests that catch it
Ontology matching cannot resolve jurisdiction, contract, consent nuance, expiry, or downstream duties without authoritative policy and human governance.
Run one representative end-to-end pilot and record exactly where DUO loses context, needs an extension, or depends on another standard.
A structured or machine-readable result can still be unfit for analysis or AI.
Test the output for missing context, provenance, terminology alignment, time leakage, and the intended downstream decision. Helps agents screen permitted uses, but does not establish lawful access, fairness, privacy protection, or security by itself.
07
Why we believe this
Checked against the canonical source plus independent operational evidence from an adopter, regulator, or implementation report.
Evidence notation: E1 + E2. The code is shorthand; the plain-language statement above is the claim.
08
Source shelf
Official diagrams, examples, specifications, and explainers. Nothing external loads until you choose to open it.
GA4GH Data Use Ontology
The canonical publisher or steward source used to verify this ontology / data model profile.
- Publisher
- GA4GH
- Rights
- Rights remain with the publisher; this knowledge base links to the source rather than copying it.
- Access
- Opens the publisher's source in a new tab; no external media loads on this page.
- Verified
- 2026-07-13