Zeng, Marcia Lei

Helsingin yliopiston digitaalinen arkisto

Marcia ZengProfessor, School of Library and Information Science, Kent State University, USAThe Challenge of the Electronic Environment to the Organization ofKnowledge - Second International Seminar on Subject Access to Information,Helsinki,´Finland, 29-30 November 200716.15-17.00 From Data Modeling to Ontologies[After Eeva Murtomaa's and Maja Zumer's presentations on FR-family]To prepare globally-shareable knowledge organization systems, one barrier to breakdown is making KOS machine-processable (machine-understandable).  This was theconcern that previously belonged to the domain of researchers in computer science andW3C pioneers (although some researchers came from the information sciences).Recently, the Interim Draft Report Recommendations from the Library of CongressWorking Group (WG) on Future of Bibliographic Control (presentation: 13 Nov., 2007,Draft available: http://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/meetings/webcast-nov13.html)has brought this to the attention of the library profession. Among general and specificrecommendations, one is to “Optimize LCSH for Use & Re-use.”  The WG suggested de-coupling [LCSH] subject strings and to make data (including subject authority data)directed to Web services in order to make them machine-processable.  In fact, alltraditional KOS face such an issue which needs immediate action.  However, as Dr.Maja Zumer reported, there has been a lack of a conceptual model that could have beenused across all KOS.  It is necessary to have a model that will separate what a thema(i.e., subject/topic/concept, etc.) is from what it is called, referred to, and addressed as,(i.e., nomen) so as to construct and represent KOS in a machine-processable andunderstandable format for exchange.  Ontologies, mostly applied to biomedical researchareas until now, as evidenced by Protégé–based products, have demonstrated thisconceptual model methodologically and technologically, despite lacking a formallydefined abstract model (which consequently has led to a situation that the word‘ontology’ has been inaccurately used and misused in some cases).  This presentationwill explain the conceptual model behind the current ontological approach and bring forthexamples that support a good ontological approach based on applicable modeling.

From Data Modeling to Ontologies

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Helsingin yliopiston digitaalinen arkisto