Information technology - Top-level ontologies (TLO) - Part 1: Requirements

Designation Number:
ISO/IEC 21838-1
Standard Type:
National Standard of Canada - Adoption of International Standard
Standard Development Activity:
New Standard
ICS code(s):
01.040.5
35.060
Status:
Proceeding to development
SDO Comment Period Start Date:
SDO Comment Period End Date:
Posted On:

Scope:

This document specifies required characteristics of a domain-neutral top-level ontology (TLO) that can be used in tandem with domain ontologies at lower levels to support data exchange, retrieval, discovery, integration and analysis.

If an ontology is to provide the overarching ontology content that will promote interoperability of domain ontologies and thereby support the design and use of purpose-built ontology suites, then it needs to satisfy certain requirements. This document specifies these requirements. It also supports a variety of other goals related to the achievement of semantic interoperability, for example, as concerns legacy ontologies developed using heterogeneous upper-level categories, where a coherently designed TLO can provide a target for coordinated re-engineering.

This document specifies the characteristics an ontology needs to possess to support the goals of exchange, retrieval, discovery, integration and analysis of data by computer systems.

The following are within the scope of this document

  • Specification of the requirements an ontology needs to satisfy if it is to serve as a top-level hub ontology.
  • Specification of the relations between a top-level ontology and domain ontologies.
  • Specification of the role played by the terms in a top-level ontology in the formulation of definitions and axioms in ontologies at lower levels.

The following are outside the scope of this document:

  • Specification of ontology languages, including the languages OWL 2 and CL, used in ontology

development with standard model-theoretic semantics.

  • Specification of methods for reasoning with ontologies.
  • Specification of translators between notations of ontologies developed in different ontology languages.
  • Specification of rules governing the use of IRIs as permanent identifiers for ontology terms.
  • Specification of the principles of ontology maintenance and versioning.
  • Specification of how ontologies can be used in the tagging or annotation of data.

Project need:

To align Canadian requirements with those of international standards in the ICT subject area (adoption of new standard. This proposed New Standard is being developed at the request of P123 Technical Committee on Information Technology. It will provide the industry with the latest requirements in the field of ICT, including cybersecurity and software. This will meet the strategic needs of the following key interests: a) ensuring that the latest innovative/technology/safety features are available for users.

Note: The information provided above was obtained by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and is provided as part of a centralized, transparent notification system for new standards development. The system allows SCC-accredited Standards Development Organizations (SDOs), and members of the public, to be informed of new work in Canadian standards development, and allows SCC-accredited SDOs to identify and resolve potential duplication of standards and effort.

Individual SDOs are responsible for the content and accuracy of the information presented here. The text is presented in the language in which it was provided to SCC.