Web Ontology Segmentation: Analysis, Classification and Use

• Julian Seidenberg, Medical Informatics Group, School of Computer Science, University of Manchester, UK
• Alan Rector, Medical Informatics Group, School of Computer Science, University of Manchester, UK

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Track: Semantic Web

Slot: 11:00-12:30, Wednesday 24th May

Ontologies are at the heart of the semantic web. They define the concepts and relationships that make global interoperability possible. However, as these ontologies grow in size they become more and more difficult to create, use, understand, maintain, transform and classify. We present and evaluate several algorithms for extracting relevant segments out of large description logic ontologies for the purposes of increasing tractability for both humans and computers. The segments are not mere fragments, but stand alone as ontologies in their own right. This technique takes advantage of the detailed semantics captured within an OWL ontology to produce highly relevant segments. The research was evaluated using the GALEN ontology of medical terms and procedures.