Skip to content

Existing Training Materials

A collection of existing training resources for ontologies in an industrial context. An existing comprehensive list of semantic web resources can be found here.

Understanding Ontologies

What is an Ontology?

An ontology is a formal representation of knowledge that specifies concepts, relationships, and properties within a specific domain, for example the industrial sector. It provides a shared understanding and common vocabulary for individuals and systems, facilitating knowledge sharing, interoperability, and reasoning.

Introduction to Ontologies:
Ontologies vs. Other Data Models:

Why Are Ontologies Useful?

Knowledge Sharing

Ontologies encourage the creation of a shared understanding of some domain through a formal agreement between communities on the existence and definitions of concepts and relationships.

Data Integration

Ontologies enhance data interoperability by establishing a common framework for different systems to understand and exchange information. (ontology-based data access)

AI and Machine Learning

Ontologies provide a structured framework for organising and reasoning about data, thus are capable of enhancing AI and machine learning applications.

Ontology Use-Cases

A list of enterprise or industrial ontology uses.

IKEA Knowledge Graph
NASA Knowledge Graph
Digital Twins
Smart Buildings
Manufacturing
Oil & Gas
Automobile

Courses

There are few ontology focused courses and most are paid.

Getting Started with Ontologies

The books "A Semantic Web Primer" by Grigoris Antoniou and Frank van Harmelen and "Semantic Web for the Working Ontologist" by Dean Allemang and James Hendler are both comprehensive guides to getting started with ontologies within the semantic web. The book “An Introduction to Ontology Engineering” by Maria Keet is another great resource that focuses more on the development of ontologies.

Foundational Concepts

Semantic Web
Ontology Components

Key Technologies

RDF (Resource Description Framework)
  • Framework for describing resources on the web.
  • RDF Primer
RDFS (RDF Schema)
  • A data-modelling vocabulary for RDF data; an extension of the basic RDF vocabulary.
  • RDFS Primer
OWL (Web Ontology Language)
  • Ontology language for expressing rich and complex knowledge models.
  • OWL Primer
SPARQL Query Langauge
  • Query language for extracting information from RDF datasets.
  • SPARQL Primer

Ontology Development

Development Tools
Development Process

Common Ontologies

IndustryPortal is an ontology repository hosting over 100 ontologies from the industrial domain. Below 5 of the more common enterprise or industrial ontologie are listed.

SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organisation System)

Common data model for sharing and linking knowledge organisation systems via the Semantic Web.

BFO (Basic Formal Ontology)

Small, upper level ontology that is designed for use in supporting information retrieval, analysis and integration in scientific and other domains

GIST Ontology

Minimalist upper ontology for the enterprise, designed to provide the maximum coverage of typical business concepts with the fewest number of primitives and the least amount of ambiguity.

IOF Core Ontology

Mid-level ontology that resides at the top of the suite of ontologies by the Industrial Ontologies Foundary (IOF).

Industrial Data Ontology (IDO)

Upper ontology for industrial data by PCA.

Industry Ontology Groups

Industrial Ontologies Foundry (IOF)

Group working to create a suite of interoperable ontologies that serve as a foundation for data and information interoperability in all areas of manufacturing.

OntoCommons

European group dedicated to the standardisation of data documentation across all domains related to materials and manufacturing.

POSC Caesar Association (PCA)

Non-profit global-standardization member organisation promoting the development of open, standards-based specifications for the energy industry.

Staying Updated

Journals

Blogs and Forums

Webinars and Conferences