The double role of ontologies in information science research

TLDR

Ontology in philosophy describes the basic nature of things, while in information science it denotes an engineering artifact with a specific vocabulary to model reality, and ontologies have been used to validate conceptual models and schemas, though these roles differ. The article aims to clarify ontology usage by classifying its terms, distinguishing ontologies of information systems from ontologies for information systems, and thereby providing a better understanding of ontologies and explaining their dual role in information science research. The authors explain philosophical ontology, differentiate ontologies of versus for information systems, and clarify their meanings by comparing Wand & Weber and Guarino’s ontology‑driven information systems research. The study finds that the three concepts—philosophical ontology, ontologies of information systems, and ontologies for information systems—each play important roles in information science, and the article contributes by clarifying ontology definitions and their dual role.

Abstract

Abstract In philosophy, Ontology is the basic description of things in the world. In information science, an ontology refers to an engineering artifact, constituted by a specific vocabulary used to describe a certain reality. Ontologies have been proposed for validating both conceptual models and conceptual schemas; however, these roles are quite dissimilar. In this article, we show that ontologies can be better understood if we classify the different uses of the term as it appears in the literature. First, we explain Ontology (upper case O ) as used in Philosophy. Then, we propose a differentiation between ontologies of information systems and ontologies for information systems. All three concepts have an important role in information science. We clarify the different meanings and uses of Ontology and ontologies through a comparison of research by Wand and Weber and by Guarino in ontology‐driven information systems. The contributions of this article are twofold: (a) It provides a better understanding of what ontologies are, and (b) it explains the double role of ontologies in information science research.