Closing and Opening Worlds: Integrity Constraints and Expressive Keys in OWL

We propose to evaluate tree dominant semantics for description logic integrity constraints, as well as multiple proposals for adding syntax for integrity constraint axioms, to the Web Ontology Language standard, OWL. Further, we propose to implement a semantics, in the form of a syntax compiler and data set validator, in order to establish the feasibility and utility of such work for the validation of supply chain management messages, as well as for other, related forms of information integration based on ontologies. Being able to selectively manage open world an closed world reasoning assumptions allows the use of OWL as an expressive schema language for data models. We further propose to consider the applicability of existing description logic explanation and debugging services in Pellet, an OWL DL reasoner, to increase the usability and comprehension of integrity constraints for ontology developers and users of supply chain messaging validators.