Is there an absolute model answer for Entity-Relationship diagram?

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Hi I am new to conceptual data modelling and is currently working on entity-relationship diagrams. Just some questions that I am not able to find an answer to:

  1. I am designing an E-R diagram based on a given scenerio and as I match my answers against the 'model answer', it is quite different, especially the terms I use within the diamond shapes representing the relationship between 2 entities. Am i right to say that the choice of words representing the relationship can be anything so long as it is logical?

  2. I noticed different tutorials uses different means of representing cardinality. Some uses crow foot, some uses M:N to represent many-to-many. As there are so many standards, which is the recommended standard to follow for a beginner?

Thanks in advance

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entity-relationshipconceptual-model

1 Answers

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A Conceptual Model is used to represent a domain of discourse to aid you and the users understand that domain. As such the wording and form of that representation should be that most aids you and the users in that understanding.

Therefore, should you choose to include an Entity Relationship Diagram as part of the Conceptual Model, the terms, notation and diagrammatic conventions used should be those that make most sense to you and the users. The terms used may be specific to your organization or business.

There is no particular best practice to recommend. As long as you and the users are happy that your Conceptual Model adequately explains the domain of discourse then the production of the model has fulfilled its objective.