A new relation for multidisciplinary knowledge organization systems: dependence

Gnoli, Claudio, Bosch, Mela and Mazzocchi, Fulvio . A new relation for multidisciplinary knowledge organization systems: dependence., 2007 In: Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in the organization of scientific knowledge, proceedings of the Eighth ISKO-Spain Conference 18-20 April 2007 León, Spain. Universidad de León, Secretariado de Publicaciones), pp. 399-409. [Book chapter]

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English abstract

Most existing knowledge organization systems (KOS) are based on disciplines. However, as research is increasingly multidisciplinary, scholars need tools allowing them to explore relations between phenomena throughout the whole spectrum of knowledge. We focus on the dependence relationship, holding between one phenomenon and those at lower integrative levels on which it depends for its existence, like alpinism on mountains, and mountains on rocks. This relationship was first described by D.J. Foskett in the context of CRG's work towards a non-disciplinary scheme. We discuss its possible status and representation in three kinds of KOS: thesauri, classification schemes, and ontologies. In thesaural structures, dependence could be one of the subtypes of associative relationships (RT) which have been wished to enrich their semantic functions. In classification, it could act together with hierarchy as a structuring principle, providing a way of connecting and sorting main classes based on integrative levels. In ontologies, it could be defined as a dependsOn direct slot, expressing the fact that through it a class does not inherit all properties of the other class on which it depends. We argue that providing search interfaces with cross-disciplinary links of this kind can give users more adequate tools to examine the recorded knowledge through creative paths overcoming some limitations of its canonical segmentation into disciplines.

Spanish abstract

Resumen: La mayor parte de los sistemas de organización del conocimiento se fundamentan en disciplinas. Sin embargo a medida que la investigación crece en ámbitos multidisciplinarios, se necesitan herramientas que permitan explorar relaciones entre fenómenos a través de todo el espectro de conocimiento. Nos centramos en la relación de dependencia que es la que se establece entre un fenómeno y aquéllos de nivel inferior de los que depende para poder existir, por ejemplo la relación entre alpinismo y montañas, y la que se establece entre montañas y rocas. Esta relación fue descripta por Foskett en el contexto del trabajo del Classification Research Group dirigido a la elaboración de un esquema de representación no disciplinario. Analizamos el posible desarrollo y modo de representación de la relación de dependencia en tres tipos de sistemas de organización del conocimiento: los tesauros, los esquemas clasificatorios y las ontologías. En las estructuras de tesauro la relación de dependencia puede ser uno de los subtipos de las relaciones asociativas (RT) las cuales por medio de esta relación pueden enriquecer sus funciones semánticas. En las clasificaciones la relación de dependencia se podría utilizar junto con la jerarquía como principio estructurante ofreciendo una forma de conectar y organizar clases principales basadas en niveles de integración. En las ontologías la relación de dependencia puede ser definida como un slot directo, que denominamos dependsOn el cual que indica restricciones a la herencia de las propiedades de la clase de la cual depende. Sostenemos que al proporcionar a las interfaces de búsqueda la posibilidad de enlaces transdiciplinarios a través de esta relación se puede dotar a los usuarios de un más adecuado instrumento para examinar el conocimiento acumulado, abriendo la posibilidad a caminos creativos salvando algunas de las limitaciones de la tradicional segmentación en disciplinas

Item type: Book chapter
Keywords: classification, dependence, disciplines vs. phenomena, integrative levels, ontologies, relationships, thesauri
Subjects: A. Theoretical and general aspects of libraries and information. > AB. Information theory and library theory.
Depositing user: Mela Bosch
Date deposited: 21 May 2007
Last modified: 02 Oct 2014 12:07
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/9558

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