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Ontology

Definition

An ontology is a structured framework that formally defines a set of concepts, categories, and the relationships between them. Ontologies provide a shared vocabulary for humans and machines, enabling consistent interpretation of data, reasoning over knowledge, and interoperability between systems.

In the WissKI context the term refers to a formal definition of classes and properties in the Resource Description Framework (RDF). Usually the ontology is loaded into the triplestore and provides the classes and predicates that can be used to build semantic paths in the Pathbuilder

Synonyms

  • Semantic schema
  • Conceptual (reference) model

Additional resources