Ontology Reusability Resource for Multi-Agent Decision Support Systems

As the importance of ontologies has become increasingly clear in recent years, the need for automated reusability has become readily apparent. However, the ability to develop reusable ontologies remains unrealized. Sentar proposes an approach based onthe total knowledge engineering process. Approaching the problem from this perspective opens further possibilities. Corresponding to each ontology is a knowledge base. If it is possible to adapt and reuse an ontology, it should be possible to reuse theknowledge base too. Thus the vision motivating this proposal is one of complete knowledge content management. Sentar's solution, called the Ontology Reusability Resource (ORR), will be based on three key technologies: 1) inferred ontology, 2)opportunistic reusability, and 3) partial isomorphism. Inferred ontology deduces ontological information from a knowledge representation. Opportunistic reusability explores existing ontologies and identifies relevant items. Partial isomorphism detectssimilarities among ontological constituents. The convergence of these technologies will provide knowledge engineers with the ability to define a basic set of ontological requirements which the ORR will use to locate ontological segments and integrate theminto a complete ontology. By integrating ontology reusability into the knowledge engineering process, the ORR simplifies the solution and lays the basis for subsequent practical implementation. Successful development of the ORR will support the Navy inproducing and maintaining knowledge resources for multi-agent decision support and other systems. When integrated into a complete knowledge management system, the ORR will enable knowledge engineers to manipulate both knowledge content and ontologies tocreate and adapt new systems for an unlimited range of applications. Potential commercial applications include logistics, network security, e-commerce, and e-business.