Relationships Between Records
Relationships connect records to represent how entities interact within an investigation. They allow investigators to model connections between people, organizations, locations, events, and other entities, helping reveal patterns and networks within the data.
What a relationship is
A relationship is a typed link defined by the Ontology that connects a source record to a target record. Common examples include:
works_atlocated_atcommunicates_withThese links allow investigators to move from one entity to related entities—for example from a person to their organizations, associates, locations, events, or assets.
Functionality
Relationships power several key capabilities in Octostar:
| Feature | Role |
|---|---|
| Link Charts | Visualize networks of connected entities |
| Search | Enable cross-entity exploration and discovery |
Creation
You can create relationships in several contexts within the platform:
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| Record Viewer | Add a relationship from a related entities section |
| Link Chart | Draw or create links between nodes |
| App output | Entity extraction or other apps may propose links from documents |
Attributes
Depending on configuration, a relationship may include attributes such as:
- Dates
- Roles
- Notes
- Confidence
Best Practices
Whenever possible, connect relationships to supporting evidence—such as attachments, comments, or provenance references. This ensures that connections remain traceable, explainable, and auditable during an investigation.