The classic definition of a computational ontology is that it is “an explicit specification of a conceptualization.” For us, a “conceptualization” is the set of ontologies required to ensure common interpretation of data from one or more shared databases. Ontologies can be informal or light-weight (e.g. North American Industry Classification System [NAICS]); formal, like the TOVE Ontologies that are represented in first-order logic; or be somewhere in between (i.e. semi-formal like medical ontologies that classify and relate medical terms).
We are investigating research questions that have real-life management and entrepreneurial applications of ontologies, in particular for: blockchain design, data analytics, and enterprise modeling.
