Author(s):
Martin M Raubal* - University of California, Santa Barbara
Abstract:
Ontologies are specifications of conceptualizations and therefore commit to these conceptualizations. Ontology engineering offers different methods and languages to translate conceptualizations into ontologies but little emphasis has been put on representational issues regarding the conceptualizations themselves. It is often unclear what these conceptualizations are like from a cognitive perspective. In this talk we introduce a framework for cognitive ontology engineering. We argue that achieving cognitively plausible ontological artifacts requires first to formally specify the cognitive representation itself. Concepts are mental entities and can therefore not be accessed directly. Several forms of cognitive representations are possible, having different properties and constraints. These cognitive representations form the missing link between what's in people's heads and what's in the corresponding ontology.
