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Data Governance
What Is a Data Governance Taxonomy?
A data governance taxonomy classifies governance work into five domains, not your data. Compare it to a framework, and see why enforcement beats paperwork.
Atlan staff
Emily Winks
Data Governance Expert
Emily Winks is a data governance expert who came to data through library and information science. Over 18+ years she has moved from children's librarian to information architect at WeWork to Atlan's Founder's Office, bringing a cataloging discipline to how enterprises classify, govern, and trust their data. She writes on data governance, enterprise data management, and the context layer.
/ Profile
About Emily.
After graduating with a Master of Library and Information Science and a certificate in Records Management and Archives, Emily began her career as a children's librarian. After seven years in libraries she left to join the corporate workforce — she doesn't sing The Hokey Pokey (as often) anymore, but still puts her whole self in when it comes to navigating the ambiguities of data, making digital information clear, and empowering others to do the same.
She spent her library years at the Smithtown Special Library District and as a Senior Librarian at the New York Public Library before moving into information architecture. At WeWork she progressed from Information Architect to Senior Information Architect to Data Product Architect, building the classification and data structures behind a fast-scaling business.
Emily joined Atlan's Founder's Office in 2023, where she works at the intersection of data governance, enterprise data management, and the context layer — writing on how organizations classify, govern, and make their data trustworthy for both teams and AI agents.
Press, talks & code
Certifications & training
Recent articles by Emily Winks.
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- 02Knowledge Graphs
What Is TigerGraph Used For?
See what TigerGraph enterprise graph database is used for: Native Parallel Graph architecture, GSQL, licensing, and the layer AI agents still need.
- 03Knowledge Graphs
TigerGraph vs a Governed Context Layer for Data Governance
TigerGraph holds real, audited compliance certifications. A governed context layer for data governance extends that same policy across every connected system.
- 04Semantic Layer
Atlan vs Credible Data: Context Layer vs. AI Analytics Engine
Credible Data raised $10M to build an AI Analytics Engine on Malloy. See how its query-time governance compares to Atlan's context layer for the data…
- 05Semantic Layer
What Is Timbr's Semantic Layer?
Timbr models business concepts as a virtual SQL knowledge graph over existing warehouses. See how its ontology works, its use cases, and where its claims…
- 06Semantic Layer
Timbr vs Atlan: Ontology vs Context Layer Compared
Timbr's ontology-based semantic layer runs deep on modeled SQL sources. See how it compares to Atlan's governed context layer on estate-wide coverage.
- 07Data Governance
5 Best Data Governance Platforms in 2026 | A Complete Evaluation Guide to Help You Choose
Data governance platforms compared for 2026: Atlan, Alation, BigID, Collibra, and Informatica, scored on how well each governs the context AI agents read.
- 08Context Layer Definition and Enterprise AI Architecture
What Is a Context Layer? Definition, Components, Use Cases
A context layer supplies the meaning, identity, and permissions AI cannot infer from your data. What it contains, who needs one, and how to build…
- 09Knowledge Graphs
Graph Database vs a Governed Metadata Layer: Which Do You Need?
Graph databases store and traverse connections. A governed metadata layer decides what those connections mean and who can retrieve them, and when you need both.
- 10Knowledge Graphs
Knowledge Graph vs Data Catalog: What Is the Difference?
A knowledge graph models relationships; a data catalog lists assets, and neither tells an AI agent what it's allowed to do with what it finds.
- 11Knowledge Graphs
Ontotext GraphDB vs a Knowledge Graph Context Layer for AI
Ontotext GraphDB reasons over RDF triples with OWL 2 and SHACL. A knowledge graph context layer decides what those inferences mean and who can retrieve…
- 12Knowledge Graphs
Stardog vs a Knowledge Graph Context Layer for AI
Stardog's OWL 2 reasoning and Atlan's context layer already integrate. See how each works, where they differ, and when enterprises need both.
Transparency
Editorial relationship
Atlan staff byline
Emily is a member of the Atlan team. Articles published under her byline reflect her own analysis and expertise; Atlan's editorial team works with her on structure and clarity but does not author content attributed to her. She reviews and approves every piece published under her byline before publication.
Reach Emily