BORO Publications

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Meta-Regimenting Extensionalism

A presentation to raise awareness of what extensionalism is <br> <ul> <li>to raise awareness of the connection with formality and computability</li> <li>to make clear extensionalism has a role as an engineering tool for examining critical data infrastructure</li> <li>where it enables us to uncover the implicit underpinnings of critical data infrastructure on the way, to make clear: <ul> <li>the concern that <ul> <li>so-called ‘theories of meaning’ fail to provide good enough identity criteria and</li> <li>‘regimentation’ is a way to relieve this concern</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>a way to construct the underlying extensional semantics</li> <li>to raise awareness of how meta-regimentation drives the evolution of extensionalism – <ul> <li>increasing its scope</li> <li>by providing an overview of the meta-regimentation journey</li> </ul> </li> </ul>

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Ontology-Driven Conceptual Modelling

A 4D Extensionalist Approach

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What are spatial objects?

a critical data infrastructure paradigm shift

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Disentangling the schema turn: Restoring the information base to conceptual modelling

If one looks at contemporary mainstream development practices for conceptual modelling in computer science, these so clearly focus on a conceptual schema completely separated from its information base that the conceptual schema is often just called the conceptual model. These schema-centric practices are crystallized in almost every database textbook. We call this strong, almost universal, bias towards conceptual schemas the schema turn. The focus of this paper is on disentangling this turn within (computer science) conceptual modeling. It aims to shed some light on how it emerged and so show that it is not fundamental. To show that modern technology enables the adoption of an inclusive schema-and-base conceptual modelling approach, which in turn enables more automated, and empirically motivated practices. And to show, more generally, the space of possible conceptual modelling practices is wider than currently assumed. It also uses the example of bCLEARer to show that the implementations in this wider space will probably need to rely on new pipeline-based conceptual modelling techniques. So, it is possible that the schema turn’s complete exclusion of the information base could be merely a temporary evolutionary detour.

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BORO – General Context

This is the first in a series of three presentations for the Oslo Summer School. The aim of this presentation is to give some idea of the practice of using the BORO Foundational Ontology, providing context for the next presentation in this series. A common way of looking at engineering, including ontological engineering, is as a practice, a way of doing things. Engineering as a discipline emerges from and supports the practice. Foundational ontology engineering, or ontological engineering using foundational ontologies, is then also a practice. The context is given in three parts: 1. ontologies 2. foundational ontologies – purpose 3. foundational ontologies – nature

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BORO Analysis Tools

This is the third in a series of three presentations for the Oslo Summer School. It was intended to introduce the BORO analysis tools to be used in the practical problems to be undertaken by the participants. It was also specifically aimed at providing some ‘practice’ with ontologization interoperability pipelines by recreating the first stage of an ontologization interoperability pipeline with (simple) examples. This was done in the hope that the participants would directly experience some of the challenges (in an attenuated form). The tools covered were: <ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="1"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1215">Structured Data Table Migration</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1250">Space Time Maps</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1269">Ontological Euler Diagrams</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1299">BORO UML</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1311">BORO eXcel Table (Manual) Pipeline</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1349">BORO KNIME Data Pipeline</p></li></ul>

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BORO Ontology

This is the second in a series of three presentations for the Oslo Summer School. It covers the BORO Foundational Ontology (and the related bCLEARer framework). It starts by explaining BORO's toolkit-based approach. The motivation for this choice is agility, with a goal of speeding up the evolution of the ontology as well as allowing the approach to be flexibly tailored to a variety of situations. It then gives the BORO genealogy, explaining briefly how it has evolved over the last three decades and characterises the BORO Foundational Ontology in three ways: as an ontology of ontological categories, as a constructional ontology of everything that exists and as an ontological architecture. It characterises the bCLEARer methodology. Finally, it mentions two post-ontology areas where BORO is working: de se agentology and de se doxastology.

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The bCLEARer Pipeline Architecture Framework eManual

bCLEARer stands at the forefront of digital transformation, championing an evolutionary approach to harnessing digitization and digitalization opportunities. It guides information on a transformative journey, curating its evolution into fitter forms, ones more suited for computing, that deliver increased value. To accomplish this, bCLEARer has evolved an architecture framework for semantic data pipelines, along with a methodology for engineering these pipelines. A while ago, a client engaged us to crystallise our then current working documentation on the architecture framework into an eManual for their bCLEARer programme. What follows is a sanitized version of that manual, capturing the architecture as it existed then. Though bCLEARer continues to evolve, the core principles in this eManual remain relevant.

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Interoperability, Digitalisation, Innovation, Form

This presentation looks at the strategic question: where do we go from here? Where here is a situation where the fidelity of interoperability is too low. It suggests the answer is going to be in developing the ring forms(s). Presentation Structure: <ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="1"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="691">BORO situation: setting up the strategic question</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="744">Framing – then leveraging – the challenge</p><ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="2"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="789">a human information evolution perspective: a narrow framework</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="854">a biological information evolution perspective: a wider framework</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="923">a digital information transmission perspective: visualising interoperability</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1003">an information evolution population analysis</p></li></ul></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1053">Innovation</p><ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="2"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1067">innovation and diffusion (adoption): a frame for human information evolution</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1147">post-digitalisation – evolved-digital</p></li></ul></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1190">Adding form explicitly to the framing</p><ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="2"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1231">some of our form challenges</p></li></ul></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1264">Summary</p></li></ul>

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Extending the design space of ontologization practices: Using bCLEARer as an example

The aim of this seminar is to suggest that the design space for the ontologization process is richer than current practice would suggest. That it is possible to open the space up to a range of radically new practices. This consciously builds upon the notion that engineering processes as well as products need to be designed. We provide evidence for the new practices from our work over the last three decades with an outlier methodology, bCLEARer. We also provide some contextual scaffolding for a perspective that we have found we needed to better understand the nature of these new practices. This is an evolutionary perspective which sees digitalization (the evolutionary emergence of computing technologies) as part of the latest step in a long evolutionary trail of information transitions. And sees ontologization as a tool for exploiting the emerging opportunities offered by digitalization.

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Broadening Ontologization Design:

Embracing Data Pipeline Strategies

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Extending the design space of ontologization practices: Using bCLEARer as an example

Our aim in this paper is to outline how the design space for the ontologization process is richer than current practice would suggest. We point out that engineering processes as well as products need to be designed – and identify some components of the design. We investigate the possibility of designing a range of radically new practices, providing examples of the new practices from our work over the last three decades with an outlier methodology, bCLEARer. We also suggest that setting an evolutionary context for ontologization helps one to better understand the nature of these new practices and provides the conceptual scaffolding that shapes fertile processes. Where this evolutionary perspective positions digitalization (the evolutionary emergence of computing technologies) as the latest step in a long evolutionary trail of information transitions. This reframes ontologization as a strategic tool for leveraging the emerging opportunities offered by digitalization.

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Digitalizing Uncertain Information

The paper sketches some initial results from an ongoing project to develop an ontology-based digital form for representing uncertain information. We frame this work as a journey from lower to higher levels of digital maturity across a technology divide. The paper first sets a baseline by describing the basic challenges any project dealing with digital uncertainty faces. It then describes how the project is facing them. It shows firstly how an extensional ontology (such as the BORO Foundational Ontology or the Information Exchange Standard) can be extended with a Lewisian counterpart approach to formalizing uncertainty that is adapted to computing. And then it shows how this is expressive enough to handle the challenges.

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Taking a constructional turn to radically enrich a top ontology’s foundation: a case history

We aim to establish that there is at least one role for constructionalism in applied ontology by giving the case history of an early example of a case where the foundations of a top-level ontology are constructionally refactored. What we have called ‘taking the constructional turn’. The example is the BORO foundational ontology which has, over the last decade, been taking this turn. The paper starts by providing an evolutionary context for the case history. It then provides a chronological profile of the constructional turn and the radical enrichment it delivered. This clearly establishes the feasibility and benefits of this specific role for constructionalism in applied ontology.

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Modernising Engineering Datasheets a bCLEARer project

A case study in migrating from legacy engineering standards

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A brief introduction to BORO

This is a brief introduction to the BORO approach and its two main components; the BORO Foundation and the bCLEARer methodology. The introduction will give an overview of both the history and the nature of the approach. It will finish with a brief look at some current enhancement work on modality and graphs as well as implementations.

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Unification of Types and Multi-Level Modeling:

Introduction - IS

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Why Form, and so Unification of Types, is Important

This presentation looks at why the ‘unification of types’ is pragmatically important (and, more generally, why the ‘innocent’ development environment unification is pragmatically important). It does this by taking an evolutionary perspective that recognises unification as a form adaption for semantic interoperability.

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Avoiding premature standardisation: balancing innovation and conformity

Overview <ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="1"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="411">Currently work in a niche area:</p><ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="2"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="446">ontologies for operational system semantic interoperability – integration</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="523">think integrating enterprise SAP and Maximo operationally<br>have been working here for a while (since late 1980s)</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="638">not many (any?) other people working here</p></li></ul></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="685">Believe that:</p><ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="2"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="702">there are opportunities for architectural (radical and disruptive) innovation in this and other ontology area</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="815">at this stage, the approach in my area needs to be agile</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="875">that premature standardisation could stifle the innovation</p></li></ul></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="939">Want to suggest that:</p><ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="2"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="964">there is a need to balance the conformity (of standards) with the agility needed to produce innovation</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1070">the balancing involves recognising when to standardise,</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1129">so, recognising when there is premature standardisation</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1188">it is not yet time to standardise in my area</p></li></ul></li></ul>

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How to – and How Not to – Build Ontologies: The Hard Road to Semantic Interoperability

The digitalisation journey that takes us to semantically seamlessly interoperating enterprise systems is (at the later stages - where ontology is deployed) a hard road to travel. This presentation aims to highlight some of the main hurdles people will face on the digitalisation journey using a cultural evolution perspective. From this viewpoint, we highlight the radical new practices that need to be adopted along the journey. The presentation looks at the concerns this evolutionary perspective raises. For example, evolutionary contingency. It seems clear that if we don’t adapt in the right way, we will not evolve interoperability. While we have some idea of what the practices are, what the trajectory of the journey is. This is not enough, the community also needs find the means to (horizontally) inherit these. The presentation then does a quick tour around so of the new practices that need to be adopted.

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How an Evolutionary Framework Can Help Us To Understand What A Domain Ontology Is (Or Should Be) And How To Build One

Situating domain ontologies in a general, long-term, diachronic information technology framework helps us to understand better their role in the evolution of information. This perspective provides some innovative insights into how they should be built.

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Building the foundations for better decisions

<p><span class="markedContent"><span>This presentation describes the Top level Ontology (TLO) that is being developed for the Information Management framework (IMF). It starts with a brief outline of how the TLO emerged from the work on the IMF. It notes the initial focus on providing a foundation for Euclidean standards. It touches on the foundation - the core constructional ontology - built from a unified constructor theory with three elements: set, sum and tuple constructors. It then looks at the data components&nbsp;of the TLO and how these are used to build four-dimensional space time: taking in mereotopology, chronology and worldlines.</span></span></p> <p><em><span class="markedContent">Presentation Structure:</span></em></p> <ul><li>Introducing the IMF Team</li><li>Background<ul><li>Information Management Framework</li><li>Choice-based framework</li></ul></li><li>TLO Initial Use</li><li>Situating the TLO in the IMF</li><li>Data Section: Core Constructional Ontology</li><li>Data Section: Top Level Ontology</li></ul>

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How the IMF Team is building a four-dimensional top-level ontology

<p data-renderer-start-pos="567">This describes the IMFs approach to building a four-dimensional top-level ontology (TLO). It starts with the background, describing the Information Management Framework (IMF) and its approach to top level ontologies; with a focus on fundamental ontological choices that typically boil down to a choice whether to stratify or unify. It outlines the TLO use case - 'Euclidean' Standards - and ontological scope it creates. It the situates the TLO in the Foundation Data Layer of the IMF - built upon the ground layer - the Core Constructional Ontology (CCO). It then describes the CCO and the TLO in terms of its components.</p> <p data-renderer-start-pos="1191"><em data-renderer-mark="true">Presentation Structure</em></p> <ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="1"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1217">Introducing the IMF Team</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1245">Background</p><ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="2"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1259">Information Management Framework</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1295">Choice-based framework</p></li></ul></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1323">TLO Initial Use</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1342">Situating the TLO in the IMF</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1374">Data Section: Core Constructional Ontology</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="1420">Data Section: Top Level Ontology</p></li></ul>

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A couple of frameworks for mapping TLOs

If one encounters operational systems using different top-level ontologies, then, if one wants them to interoperate, there is a clear practical requirement to map their data. The obvious starting point for this is a mapping between the two top level ontologies. This presentation suggests two frameworks for this mapping: <ol class="ak-ol" data-indent-level="1" start="1"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="677">a coarse grained framework (architecture) – based upon metaphysical choices</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="756">a fine grained framework – based upon basic ontological patterns</p></li></ol>

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Core Constructional Ontology

The Foundation for the Top-Level Ontology of the Information Management Framework

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Developing Thin Slices

An Introduction to the Methodology for Developing the Foundation Data Model and Reference Data Library of the Information Management Framework

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Top-Level Categories

Categories for the Top-Level Ontology of the Information Management Framework

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A Framework for Composition: A Step Towards a Foundation for Assembly

Component breakdowns are a vital multi-purpose tool and hence ubiquitous across a range of disciplines. Information systems need to be capable of storing reasonably accurate representations of these breakdowns. Most current information systems have been designed around specific breakdowns, without considering their general underlying formal structure. This is understandable, given the focus on devising the breakdown and that there is not a readily available formal structure to build upon. We make a step towards providing this structure here. At the core of the notion of a component breakdown is the component as an integral (dependent) part of the composite whole. This leads to a rich formal structure, one that requires careful consideration to capture well enough to support the range of specific breakdowns. If one is not sufficiently aware of this structure, it is difficult to determine what is required to produce a reasonably accurate representation – in particular, one that is sufficiently accurate to support interoperability. In this report, enabled by the Construction Innovation Hub, we describe this rich formal structure and develop a framework for assessing how well a data model (or ontology) has captured the main elements of the structure. This will enable people to both assess existing models as well as design new models. As a separate exercise, as an illustration, we develop a data model that captures these elements. Associated with the notion of component (as an integral, dependent part) is the notion of replaceable part (see Appendix A for more details). We do not characterise this here but will do so in a later report.

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Digitalisation Levels

An overview of the digitalisation levels being used in the Nation Digital Twin (NDT) programme.

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A 4-Dimensionalist Top Level Ontology (TLO):

Mereotopology and Space-Time

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Core Constructional Ontology (CCO): a Constructional Theory of Parts, Sets, and Relations

This presentation introduces the Core Constructional Ontology (CCO). It firstly provides the background to the development of this ontology. It secondly, provides a summary of the approach to the development, looking at its key features and giving an overview of the formalisation.

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The Basics of 4-Dimensionalism and the Role it Can Take in Supporting Large Scale Data Integration

This is the first in a series of presentations that should be seen as an integrated whole rather than a collection of separate presentations. It is an introduction to the whole and covers the Information Quality Management angle which is the motivation for our interest in 4-Dimensionalism. Later presentations will go down through the 7 circles of information management showing how 4D permeates what we are doing in developing and using 4-Dimensionalism on the National Digital Twin programme.

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BORO: Business Objects Reference Ontology

This presentation shows a foundational ontology that aims to underpin a range of enterprise systems in a consistent and coherent manner and takes data-driven re-engineering as its natural starting point for domain ontology building. It has two closely intertwined components, a foundational ontology and a re-engineering methodology. The origin and predominant area of application has been the enterprise. Suitability has been demonstrated in many industrial projects across a range of business domains including finance, oil and gas, and defense.

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A Framework for Composition:

A step towards a foundation for assembly: An Introduction

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ISO TC211 workshop: to consider the impact of non-relational technologies on TC211 standards: BORO Solutions experience

The presentation covers: <ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="1"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="485">Is there a workable UML profile for managing ontologies?</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="545">What should the output of such a model be like?</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="596">(we covered how neither UML nor OWL is ideal for this</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="653">there are certainly problems generating OWL ontologies from the current TC211 UML profile</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="746">the TC211 use of UML could be improved, even within its own profile)</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="818">What Chris brings is experience (in his domain) of using UML to create/manage ontologies</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="910">(quite probably not expressed in OWL)</p></li></ul>

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A survey of top-level ontologies: framework and results

<p>Launched in July 2018, the National Digital Twin programme was set up to deliver key recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission 2017 “Data for the Public Good Report”</p> <ul class="custom-list"> <li>to steer the successful development and adoption of the Information Management Framework for the built environment</li> <li>to create an ecosystem of connected digital twins – a national digital twin– which opens the opportunity to release value for society, the economy, business and the environment</li> </ul>

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ISO TC211 workshop to consider the impact of non-relational technologies on TC211 standards

The presentation covers: <ul class="ak-ul" data-indent-level="1"><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="452">Background</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="466">Space-Time Component (plus Names)</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="503">First workstream – Foundations: Quick View</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="549">Second workstream - Overview</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="581">Mapping General : Spatial Objects</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="618">Part 42 – Mapping: Spatial Objects</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="656">OS Open Names: Mapping</p></li><li><p data-renderer-start-pos="682">Relations (Foundation Extension)</p></li></ul>

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A Survey of Industry Data Models and Reference Data Libraries:

To identify requirements for, and provide input to a Foundation Data Model

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A survey of Top-Level Ontologies:

To inform the ontological choices for a Foundation Data Model

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Implicit Requirements for Ontological Multi-Level Types in the UNICLASS Classification

In the multi-level type modeling community, claims that most enterprise application systems use ontologically multi-level types are ubiquitous. To be able to empirically verify this claim one needs to be able to expose the (often underlying) ontological structure and show that it does, indeed, make a commitment to multi-level types. We have not been able to find any published data showing this being done. From a top-level ontology requirements perspective, checking this multi-level type claim is worthwhile. If the datasets for which the top-level ontology is required are ontologically committed to multi-level types, then this is a requirement for the top-level ontology. In this paper, we both present some empirical evidence that this ubiquitous claim is correct as well as describing the process we used to expose the underlying ontological commitments and examine them. We describe how we use the bCLEARer process to analyse the UNICLASS classifications making their implicit ontological commitments explicit. We show how this reveals the requirements for two general ontological commitments; higher-order types and first-class relations. This establishes a requirement for a top-level ontology that includes the UNICLASS classification to be able to accommodate these requirements. From a multi-level type perspective, we have established that the bCLEARer entification process can identify underlying ontological commitments to multi-level type that do not exist in the surface linguistic structure. So, we have a process that we can reuse on other datasets and application systems to help empirically verify the claim that ontological multi-level types are ubiquitous.

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A survey of top-level ontologies

<p>This presentation introduces the survey of top-level ontologies. It provides an overview of the context in which it was produced and reviews its contents.</p> <p>Presentation Structure:</p> <ol> <li>Context</li> <li>Candidate Top-level Ontologies</li> <li>Assessment Framework</li> <li>Summary</li> </ol>

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The Fantastic Combinations and Permutations of Coordinate Systems' Characterising Options

The Game of Constructional Ontology

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Grounding for an Enterprise Computing Nomenclature Ontology

We aim to lay the basis for a unified architecture for enterprise computer nomenclatures by providing the grounding ontology based upon the BORO Foundational Ontology. We start to lower two significant barriers within the computing community to making progress in this area; a lack of a broad appreciation of the nature and practice of nomenclature and a lack of recognition of some specific technical, philosophical issues that nomenclatures raise. We provide an overview of the grounding ontology and how it can be implemented in a system. We focus on the issue that arises when tokens lead to the overlap of the represented domain and its system representation – system-domain-overlap – and how this can be resolved.

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Grounding for an Enterprise Computing Nomenclature Ontology - Long Version

We aim to lay the basis for a unified architecture for nomenclatures in enterprise computer systems by providing the grounding for an ontology of en-terprise computing nomenclatures within a foundational ontology. We look at the way in which nomenclatures are tools both shaped by and shaping the prevailing technology. In the era of printing technology, nomenclatures in lists and tables were ‘paper tools’ deployed alongside scientific taxonomic and bureaucratic clas-sifications. These tools were subsequently embedded in computer enterprise sys-tems. In this paper we develop an ontology that can be used as a basis for nomen-clature ‘computer tools’ engineered for computing technology.

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Coordinate Systems

Level Ascending Ontological Options

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Thoroughly Modern Accounting:

Shifting to a De Re Conceptual Pattern for Debits and Credits

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Ontology then agentology:

A finer grained framework for enterprise modelling

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Dagstuhl Commercial Introductions: BORO Solutions

The presentation introduces BORO Solution’s commercial work.

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Developing an Ontological Sandbox:

Investigating Multi-Level Modelling’s Possible Metaphysical Structures

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Grounding for Ontological Architecture Quality:

Metaphysical Choices

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BORO Foundational Ontology's Meta-ontological Choices

An overview of BORO Foundational Ontology’s Meta-ontological Choices. This covers: <ul> <li>Background - BORO as an extensional ontology for business systems</li> <li>The context for metaphysical choices</li> <li>How does philosophy characterise the different metaphysics? Metaphysics through the eyes of philosophy textbooks</li> <li>BORO’s metaphysical choices</li> <li>Top level patterns - that emerge as a result of the choices</li> <li>Re-engineering the companies house data - an example of the re-engineering process assocaited with the choices</li> <li>Company - an example of the result of the choices</li> <li>Higher order types - one of BORO's metaphysical choices</li> </ul>

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BORO as a Foundation to Enterprise Ontology

Modern business organizations experience increasing challenges in the development and evolution of their enterprise systems. Typical problems include legacy re-engineering, systems integration/interoperability, and the architecting of the enterprise. At the heart of all these problems is enterprise modeling. Many enterprise modeling approaches have been proposed in the literature with some based on ontology. Few however adopt a foundational ontology to underpin a range of enterprise models in a consistent and coherent manner. Fewer still take data-driven re-engineering as their natural starting point for modeling. This is the approach taken by Business Object Reference Ontology (BORO). It has two closely intertwined components: a foundational ontology and a re-engineering methodology. These were originally developed for the re-engineering of enterprise systems and subsequently evolved into approaches to enterprise architecture and systems integration. Together these components are used to systematically unearth reusable and generalized business patterns from existing data. Most of these patterns have been developed for the enterprise context and have been successfully applied in several commercial projects within the financial, defense, and oil and gas industries. BORO's foundational ontology is grounded in philosophy and its metaontological choices (including perdurantism, extensionalism, and possible worlds) follow well-established theories. BORO's re-engineering methodology is rooted in the philosophical notion of grounding; it emerged from the practice of deploying its foundational ontology and has been refined over the last 25 years. This paper presents BORO and its application to enterprise modeling.

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Formalization of the classification pattern:

survey of classification modeling in information systems engineering

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how boro has been used

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Improving Model Quality through Foundational Ontologies:

Two Contrasting Approaches to the Representation of Roles

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NORSOK Z-014:

A 21st Century Update

John Graham (Tullow Oil), Mesbah A. Khan (Tullow Oil), and Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Why (and how) to use a metaphysicalist foundational ontology

BORO is a metaphysically grounded foundational ontology developed specifically for use with computer systems (a foundational ontology is a system of general domain-independent ontological categories that can form a foundation for domain-specific ontologies; some but not all of these are grounded in metaphysics) and an associated methodology for legacy re-engineering systems. It emerged from a number of system replacement projects that started in the late 1980s. It was developed to mine the ontology-based conceptual models from legacy systems for use in the development of next generation systems. Once the re-engineering methodology was established in the initial projects, questions arose as to where it could usefully be deployed. To answer this, it would help to understand why it was effective; after all, it would be hard to find a more abstract and esoteric subject than metaphysics – and one that does not immediately seem related to computing. Furthermore metaphysics is a broad subject, it would be good to understand better what areas of metaphysics are important, why they are important and how they are useful. It would also be good to have a better idea of where in computing metaphysics could play a useful role. The purpose of this position paper is to sketch out how BORO has, over the decades, developed a view that provides answers to these questions (with no claim that this is the only way to answer them). This view is framed by two related themes. The first is that a new kind of information quality – which we label ‘computerate’ – is needed for computer systems and the second that metaphysics provides the right apparatus for grounding foundational ontologies that can be used to produce this ‘computerate’ information.

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Tullow's master data

BORO Solutions applies military-strength semantics in 'Clean' and 'Pure' approach to complex oil country data landscape. Industrial ontology leverages Department of defense framework.

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Geospatial and temporal reference:

A case study illustrating (radical) refactoring

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Are Conceptual Models Concept Models?

The conceptual modelling community has no clear, agreed semantics for its models; or more plainly, there is no general agreement on what the models model. One mainstream proposal is that they model concepts, but there is no clear semantics for this; no clear description of what concepts are and how they relate to their domain. This creates theoretical problems; for example, it is difficult to build accurate meta-models, as these have to encompass the semantic structure. It also creates practical problems; practitioners will approach building a model of the concept of a business differently from modelling the business itself. We aim to exploit research undertaken in philosophy to construct a framework that classifies the broad semantic options. Using this we identify two major options: concept-mediated and direct-domain semantics. We focus on the concept-mediated option and examine how philosophy has analysed what a concept is; identifying three main options and exploring the issues they raise. While not wishing to advocate choices at this stage, we note that the concept-mediated view - in particular, the version prevalent in conceptual modelling, that concepts are representations – faces serious challenges as a practical semantics for modelling and languages.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions, Brunel University, UK), Cesar Gonzalez-Perez (CSIC, Spain) and Brian Henderson-Sellers (University of Technology, AUS)

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A Robust Common Master Data Foundation for Oil and Gas

The Upstream Oil and Gas industry is formed of a complex network of contractual structures, highly specialised technical disciplines and technologies that interact across multilateral supply chains for exploration and production of hydrocarbons. The complexity comes with a number of technical, social and environmental risks may affect entire regions and countries. One of the key challenges that organisations face in this industry, is ensuring interoperability across organisational and functional boundaries due to the highly stratified supply chain and deeply specialised technical domains that it creates. This presentation will describe the strategy used to build a robust common foundation for the data; at the centre of which is a stable and resilient data architecture for the oil industry. It will explain how this was achieved including the use of structured foundational design principles and industry data standards including ISO 15926, IDEAS and MODEM. <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-96351694-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script>

Mesbah Khan (Tullow Oil), Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Air Control Means:

An ‘improving precision’ case study

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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BORO introduction:

The industrial application of ontology: Driven by a foundational ontology

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BORO-related standards overview

The aim of this tutorial is to provide a context for BORO in terms of a number of standards that it has influenced.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Foundations of accounting:

A paradigm shift case study

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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MODEM - Behaviour:

A ‘structural constraints’ case study

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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NORSOK SCCS:

An improving ‘structural constraints’ case study

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Ontology - Introduction:

The Industrial Application of Ontology: Driven by a foundational ontology

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Top ontology(ies);

why bother?

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Ontology-Driven Re-engineering of Business Systems

This tutorial presents an introduction to the BORO methodology, an ontology-based systems engineering approach. The authors present both the ontological foundations of the approach as well as business examples of the application of this approach.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions, Brunel University), Sergio de Cesare (Brunel University)

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Re-engineering Data with 4D Ontologies and Graph Databases

The amount of data that is being made available on the Web is increasing. This provides business organisations with the opportunity to acquire large datasets in order to offer novel information services or to better market existing products and services. Much of this data is now publicly available (e.g., thanks to initiatives such as Open Government Data). The challenge from a corporate perspective is to make sense of the third party data and transform it so that it can more easily integrate with their existing corporate data or with datasets with a different provenance. This paper presents research-in-progress aimed at semantically transforming raw data on U.K. registered companies. The approach adopted is based on BORO (a 4D foundational ontology and re-engineering method) and the target technological platform is Neo4J (a graph database). The primary challenges encountered are (1) re-engineering the raw data into a 4D ontology and (2) representing the 4D ontology into a graph database. The paper will discuss such challenges and explain the transformation process that is currently being adopted.

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Ontology Architecture: Top Ontology Architecture

In various disciplines, when working on larger projects there is a tradition of thinking in terms of an architecture (E.g. Enterprise / Systems / Software Architecture). Firstly a meta-methodological point; this suggests a good methodology for approaching large ontology projects should have an architectural component. Here architecture is used in a loose sense, there is extensive discussion on what exactly an architecture is, which is not directly relevant to the points made. Agreeing it used in a loose sense avoids this – however interesting a rabbit hole it seems. The points are illustrated the points with examples from the development and application of top ontologies such as BORO, IDEAS and MODEM.

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DoD Architectures and Systems Engineering Integration

An extract from a presentation to the NDIA and AT&L System Engineering Conference on 24th October 2012 by the US Office of the Chief Information Officer (US DoD). The extract highlights the role the BORO-based IDEAS foundation plays in DODAF.

Walt Okon (US DoD - Office of the Chief Information Officer), David McDaniel (Silver Bullet Solutions, Inc)

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Guidelines for Developing Ontological Architectures in Modelling and Simulation

This book is motivated by the belief that “a better understanding of ontology, epistemology, and teleology” is essential for enabling Modelling and Simulation (M&S) systems to reach the next level of ‘intelligence’. This chapter focuses on one broad category of M&S systems where the connection is more concrete; ones where building an ontology – and, we shall suggest, an epistemology – as an integrated part of their design will enable them to reach the next level of ‘intelligence’. Within the M&S community, this use of ontology is at an early stage; so there is not yet a clear picture of what this will look like. In particular, there is little or no guidance on the kind of ontological architecture that is needed to bring the expected benefits. This chapter aims to provide guidance by outlining some major concerns that shape the ontology and the options for resolving them. The hope is that paying attention to these concerns during design will lead to a better quality architecture, and so enable more ‘intelligent’ systems. It is also hoped that understanding these concerns will lead to a better understanding of the role of ontology in M&S.

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Ontology meets Big Data:

Immutability

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Introduction to MODEM:

Building a Semantic Foundation for EA: Reengineering the MODAF™ Meta-Model Based on the IDEAS Foundation

Lt Col Mikael Hagenbo (Swedish Armed Forces), Ian Bailey (Model Futures), Lars-Olof Kihlstrom (Syntell), Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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MODEM – Building a semantic foundation for enterprise architecture:

Reengineering the MODAF meta-model based on the IDEAS foundation model

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Toward a Perdurantist Ontology of Contracts

Contracts are fundamental toward characterising the very nature of a firm (or enterprise). The firm is considered by some economic theories as a bundle of contracts and contracts in turn are considered also as bundles of rights and obligations (commitments). As such it can be argued that the ontological relationships between the firm and its contracts an be explained through a set of mereological (or whole-part) relationships. Specifically, the relationships between a contract and its parties and between the parties and their rights/commitments are all mereological. This view of what contracts are may appear at first surprising but a perdurantist interpretation of contracts results in such an ontology. The main contribution of this paper is a perdurantist ontology of contracts which introduces the following distinctive features: (1) a differentiation between contract specification and contract execution, (2) contract executions as objects whose spatio-temporal extents intersect those of its parties and (3) a generic model of contractual commitments and fulfilment events impacting the economics of the enterprise. The ontology proposed in this paper is applied to an example scenario to demonstrate its benefits in enterprise modelling.

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‘System Components’ as a litmus test for your ontological architecture

<p>The focus of this presentation is on two topical areas in particular:</p> <ol><li>have a discussion on system components ... and,</li> <li>have a discussion on the requirements for engineering modelling languages, and the shortcomings of what is available.</li></ol> <p>I will focus on the first item; system components. Hence the title: ‘Components as a litmus test for your ontology: in particular, your ontological architecture’</p> <p>I explain why components are a useful litmus test for the quality of your ontological architecture.</p>

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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MODEM - Reengineering the MODAF meta-model based on the IDEAS foundation model

Describes the development of the BORO-IDEAS based MODEM, a semantic metamodel for MODAF.

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Ontology for Big Systems & Systems Engineering

<p>Addresses two topics.</p> <p>Firstly, the issue in current systems engineering practice: is the nested hierarchy of system of systems complex enough?</p> <p>Secondly, it looks at two systems engineering (IT) issues ontology can help to solve:</p> <ul> <li>Semantic interoperability</li> <li>Semantic legacy modernisation – inheriting complexity</li> </ul>

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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An Information Model for Geospatial and Temporal References

Within the surface ship community, there is a significant amount of content describing Geospatial and Temporal References (G&TR); Def Stan 22-61 is the prime example. However, from an information modelling perspective, much of this is unstructured. And where it is structured, it reflects a data implementation rather than an information modelling perspective; in MDA terms, a platform-specific model rather than a computation-independent model perspective. It aims at describing how G&TR data should be used, but has not been so directly aimed at describing what G&TR is – the target of an information model. This has led to a situation where a solid foundation for the information model is missing and there is no clear articulation of the fundamental components for the information model. This analysis provides a sketch that can be developed into an information model that would provide the foundation for the ‘how’ model in Def Stan 21-66. The combined models would provide a better, more accurate, overall model.

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A Novel Ontological Approach to Semantic Interoperability between Legacy Air Defense Command and Control Systems

In common with many other government defence departments, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has realised that it has a plethora of legacy systems that were procured as domain specific with little emphasis given to integration requirements. In particular, it realised that the lack of integration between a significant number of the legacy air defence command and control (AD-C2) systems meant it could not deliver the increased agility needed for joint force AD and that current approaches to integration were unlikely to resolve the problem. They realised that they needed a new approach that demonstrably worked. This paper describes a programme initiated by the MoD to address this problem through the formulation of a novel solution and its demonstration in the tactical AD-C2 environment using a sample of these existing legacy systems. It describes the ontological solution deployed to resolve the 'hard' semantic interoperability challenge. It outlines the physical and semantic architecture that was developed to support this approach and describes the implemented planning and collaborative execution (PACE-based) and semantic interoperability engine (SIE) solution.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions), Mike Lambert (QinetiQ), Mike Loneragan (QinetiQ), Andy Mitchell (BORO Solutions) and Pawel Garbacz (BORO Solutions, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

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Demonstrating a Successful Strategy for Network Enabled Capability

Responsive, agile, collaborative planning and execution is a key requirement for the development of a successful Network Enabled Capability (NEC), whether at the national or international level. This paper makes the case that it is not possible to achieve this agility without solving the semantic interoperability problem. The semantic issues facing NATO’s Network Enabled Capability (NNEC) are also faced by its members in their national NECs. There are currently many proposed strategies attempting to address these issues. Finding the one that will provide the hoped for integration and at the same time only cause minimal changes to existing infrastructure is a major challenge. In this situation it is vital to be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of a strategy. This paper presents the findings from a project tasked with both identifying a strategy and demonstrating its effectiveness - the Joint Tactical Air Defence Integration System (JTADIS) project. This project was funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and undertaken by QinetiQ – the semantic analysis was undertaken by BORO Solutions.

Michael Lambert (QinetiQ), Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions), Michael Loneragan (QinetiQ), Andrew Mitchell (BORO Solutions)

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Semantic Modernisation:

Layering, Harvesting and Interoperability

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions), Mike Lambert (QinetiQ), Mike Loneragan (QinetiQ), Andrew Mitchell (BORO Solutions)

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Ontology Mining versus Ontology Speculation

When we embed the building of an ontology into an information system development or maintenance process, then the question arises as to how one should construct the content of the ontology. One of the choices is whether the construction process should focus on the mining of the ontology from existing resources or should be the result of speculation (‘starting with a blank sheet of paper’). I present some arguments for choosing mining over speculation and then look at the implications this has for legacy modernisation.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions, Brunel University)

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What is a service?

Presentation of the report 'An Analysis of Services' prepared for the UK MoD. This describes a forensic approach to developing a common understanding of Service across business and IT. The goal of this report is to provide an in-depth common conceptual understanding of services end-to-end across the enterprise – one that encompasses business, IT and technical services and gives a picture of what, in essence, a service is. Prepared for the UK MoD in 2010.

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MODEM MODAF Migration: Providing an ontological foundation

This report on the MODEM project is in three sections: 1) An executive summary that explains the motivation for the MODEM work. 2) An introduction to the real world analysis that was done as part of the MODEM work, which gives a deeper understanding of the ideas that underlie it and provides examples of their use. 3) A detailed technical IDEAS analysis explaining the IDEAS MODEM model. The detailed technical analysis focuses on the modelling of behaviour. It aims to re-engineer the UML behaviour model, which has no real world semantics, into an ontological foundation for the modelling of behaviour. Each of the sections builds upon the previous section and is aimed at a different audience. The first section is aimed at management who need to understand the basis for the MODEM work. The second section is aimed at users who need to understand the issues that the MODEM work raises without delving into the technical details of the IDEAS model. The third and final section provides the detailed IDEAS analysis for the technical experts.

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An Analysis of Services

The goal of this report is to provide an in-depth common conceptual understanding of services end-to-end across the enterprise – one that encompasses business, IT and technical services and gives a picture of what, in essence, a service is.

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A Forensic Approach to Information Systems Development: Part II - Ways to Fix the Problem

In the first of this two-part Executive Update series,1 I took a swipe at the currently accepted approach to systems development. My argument was that if a system is to adequately support a business, the information it handles must be rigorously derived from the business itself. By producing a process model, then an information model, then a data model, and then handing it all over to an implementation team, we can end up somewhat removed from the reality of the business. The people responsible for each of these steps in the chain usually don’t have a good understanding of each other’s specialities, and the result can be “Chinese whispers.” I also noted there are a number of legacy systems out there that are decades old and attempts to replace them with modern technology have failed. The fact that the old systems are so useful is perhaps more of a mystery than the fact that today’s technology seems to offer nothing to beat them. Another trait of the these old systems that have stood the test of time is that they (mostly) seem to have been developed inhouse, in the days before there was a specialist IT function in the business. This is even stranger. How can a system that’s 20 to 30 years old and developed by a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs outperform the latest technology, designed and developed by highly specialized information technologists and business analysts?

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The Challenge of Epistemic Divergence in IS Development

The organizational environment increasingly demands that computer-based information systems are responsive to change and can work with each other seamlessly (ideally from a dynamic perspective). Given the large investment that organizations have in mission-critical legacy systems, evolutionary maintenance and systems integration now form a very significant part of the cost and effort profile of systems development. In terms of the integration issue, much of the difficulty lies in the fact that different systems often contain different ‘representations’ of the world. In the development process, it is generally accepted that the ‘information’ an information system contains about its business domain(s) is an essential intellectual part of the system, and the domain of fundamental concern. This concern is generally regarded as unitary, however, requiring no further breakdown into parts and it is commonly perceived that its relation to the business information system is simple and direct.

Mark Lycett (Brunel Univeristy), Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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MOD Ontology

A presentation on the MOD Ontology. Topics covered: MOD Ontology Team, Background on MOD Ontology (Why we started it – What it’s founded on – IDEAS), The BORO Method, The MOD Ontology Demonstrator.

Ian Bailey (Model Futures), Michael Warner (MOD, ICAD)

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An Introduction to Ontology

This tutorial should, hopefully, help you to explain what an ontology is and how it can be useful; identify several common misunderstandings when using attempting to ‘do’ ontology; see why a top ontology is useful; and appreciate its technical nature; and become acquainted with one example top ontology – BORO. It is intended to help you understand ontology, it is not intended to turn you into an ontologist.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Data and process revisited:

ontology driving a paradigm shift in the development of business application systems

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Enterprise Data Modelling:

Developing an Ontology-Based Framework for the Shell Downstream Business

Matthew West (Shell International Petroleum Company), Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions), Mark Lycett (Brunel University)

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Business Objects:

Re-Engineering for Re-Use - 2nd Edition

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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An Ontological Approach for Recovering Legacy Business Content

Legacy Information Systems (LIS) pose a challenge for many organizations. On one hand, LIS are viewed as aging systems needing replacement; on the other hand, years of accumulated business knowledge have made these systems mission-critical. Current approaches however are often criticized for being overtly dependent on technology and ignoring the business knowledge which resides within LIS. In this light, this paper proposes a means of capturing the business knowledge in a technology agnostic manner and transforming it in a way that reaps the benefits of clear semantic expression – this transformation is achieved via the careful use of ontology. The approach called Content Sophistication (CS) aims to provide a model of the business that more closely adheres to the semantics and relationships of objects existing in the real world. The approach is illustrated via an example taken from a case study concerning the renovation of a large financial system and the outcome of the approach results in technology agnostic models that show improvements along several dimensions.

Aseem Daga (Brunel University), Sergio de Cesare (Brunel University), Mark Lycett (Brunel University), Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Report from the ECOOP 2004 Workshop on Philosophy, Ontology, and Information Systems

The workshop aimed at providing a forum to discuss the use of philosophical ontology in object-oriented information systems. Whilst ontology is now more widely used in computing circles – knowledge representation, system integration, legacy transformation, and the semantic web for example – initial attempts have been modest in their outcomes. This is because computing ontology to-date has been used primarily for (often competing) concept definitions: Pragmatically, ontologies have either been developed in an abstract sense (based on some authorative perspective), or people have taken materials at hand (data models and the like) and tried to glue them together. A sound basis on which to properly align different views on aspects of the world in order to work towards a consistent whole is missing. With this in mind, the workshop aimed to secure a measure of agreement on: <ul> <li>What philosophical ontology is,</li> <li>How ontology can assist in software development,</li> <li>Key obstacles to the deployment of ontology, and</li> <li>Possible collaborative efforts among the participants.</li> </ul> Selection of participants was based on short position papers and/or previously demonstrated interest in related areas of activity. The title of this report should be referenced as “Report from the ECOOP 2004 Workshop on Philosophy, Ontology, and Information Systems”.

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Software Stability:

Recovering General Patterns of Business

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Setting the Scene:

42 Objects Business Ontology Based Software Development

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Software Stability:

Recovering General Patterns of Business

Mark Lycett (Brunel University), Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions, Brunel University) and Sergio de Cesare (Brunel University)

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Shifting the ontological foundations of accounting’s conceptual scheme

The purpose of this paper is to establish the nature of the need for a new accounting conceptual scheme and provide the framework for taking a managed approach to this change. This paper firstly reviews the nature of the need for a radical shift in the foundations and framework of accounting’s conceptual scheme. It touches upon how the existing uses of ontological analysis within accounting information systems research do not address this need. It then outlines how a more philosophical approach to ontological analysis provides a process for starting the shift in the foundation. And illustrates how the process will work with some examples.

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A Program for Building a State of the Art Enterprise Ontology:

Report on Progress

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A new foundation for accounting:

Steps towards the development of a reference ontology for accounting

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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STPO: The synthesis of a TOVE Persons Ontology

This is a report of the results of the Synthesised TOVE Persons Ontology (STPO) project. This project’s goal was a synthesis of a Persons Ontology from the TOronto Virtual Enterprise (TOVE) project’s Organisation Ontology. The report is both an introduction to the interim ontology developed by the project and also a summary of its development.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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The CEO Project:

An Introduction

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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The Role of Ontology in Semantic Integration

More and more enterprises are currently undertaking projects to integrate their applications. They are finding that one of the more difficult tasks facing them is determining how the data from one application matches semantically with the other applications. Currently there are few methodologies for undertaking this task – most commercial projects just rely on experience and intuition. Taking semantically heterogeneous databases as the prototypical situation, this paper describes how ontology (in the traditional metaphysical sense) can contribute to delivering a more efficient and effective process of matching by providing a framework for the analysis, and so the basis for a methodology. It delivers not only a better process for matching, but the process also gives a better result. This paper describes a couple of examples of this: how the analysis encourages a kind of generalisation that reduces complexity. Finally, it suggests that the benefits are not just restricted to individual integration projects: that the process produces models which can be used as to construct a universal reference ontology – for general use in a variety of types of projects.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions, Brunel University)

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What is a customer?

The beginnings of a reference ontology for customer

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Note: A couple of meta-ontological choices for ontological architectures

Major metaphysical meta-ontological choices, whether made consciously nor not, influence the overall shape of an ontological architecture. This brief note argues that the development of upper ontologies should include a characterisation of their architecture in terms of these choices and their impact. How this might work is illustrated here with examples of two major choices, these are: Perdurantism versus Endurantism and Presentism versus Eternalism.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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What is Pump Facility PF101?

A Study in Ontology

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Synthesising an Industrial Strength Enterprise Ontology

The aim of the tutorial is to provide a practical introduction for researchers and practitioners to the BORO methodology, an ontology-based systems re-engineering and modernisation approach. At the core of the methodology is the BORO Foundation. The tutorial will firstly introduce the foundation and then the methodology. It will start with a series of worked examples that explain the philosophical principles underlying the foundation. These will then be developed in further business based worked examples to illustrate how the methodology works and how the philosophical principles drive the methodology and analysis. The examples will showcase how the use of BORO promotes flexibility and reuse of the re-engineered models.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions, UK), Milena Stefanova (LADSEB CNR, Italy)

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The Role of Ontology in Integrating Semantically Heterogeneous Databases

More and more enterprises are currently undertaking projects to integrate their applications. They are finding that one of the more difficult tasks facing them is determining how the data from one application matches semantically with the data from the other applications. Currently there are few methodologies for undertaking this task – most commercial projects just rely on experience and intuition. Taking semantically heterogeneous databases as the prototypical situation, this paper describes how ontology (in the traditional metaphysical sense) can contribute to delivering a more efficient and effective process of matching by providing a framework for the analysis, and so the basis for a methodology. It delivers not only a better process for matching, but the process also gives a better result. This paper describes a couple of examples of this: how the analysis encourages a kind of generalisation that reduces complexity and how ontological relativity can be used to enhance this. Finally, it suggests that the benefits are not just restricted to individual integration projects: that the process produces models which can be used as to construct a universal reference ontology – for general use in a variety of types of projects.

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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A Synthesis of State of the Art Enterprise Ontologies:

Work in Progress

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions), Milena Stefanova (LOA)

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A Synthesis of State of the Art Enterprise Ontologies:

Work in Progress

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Business Objects:

Re-Engineering for Re-Use - 1st Edition

Chris Partridge (BORO Solutions)

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Modelling the real world:

Are classes abstractions or objects?