Salvador Sánchez-Alonso, Jesús Cáceres Information Engineering research unit, University of Alcala, Spain Aage S. Holm, Geir Lieblein, Tor Arvid Breland.

Salvador Sánchez-Alonso, Jesús CáceresSalvador Sánchez-Alonso, Jesús CáceresInformation Engineering research unit, University of Alcala, SpainInformation Engineering research unit, University of Alcala, Spain

Aage S. Holm, Geir Lieblein, Tor Arvid BrelandAage S. Holm, Geir Lieblein, Tor Arvid BrelandNorwegian University of Life SciencesNorwegian University of Life Sciences

Nikos ManouselisNikos ManouselisInformatics Laboratory, Agricultural University of AthensInformatics Laboratory, Agricultural University of Athens

Presented byPresented by

Roger MillsRoger MillsOxford University Library ServicesOxford University Library Services

Engineering an ontology on organic Engineering an ontology on organic agriculture and agroecology: the case agriculture and agroecology: the case

of the Organic.Edunet projectof the Organic.Edunet project

Co-funded by the European CommissionCo-funded by the European Commission

eeContentContentplusplus programme programme

http://www.organic-edunet.euhttp://www.organic-edunet.eu 22//2828

Organic Agriculture and Agroecology Organic Agriculture and Agroecology (OA & AE)(OA & AE)

Education is essential to raise public awareness of Education is essential to raise public awareness of OA/AE, in support of food securityOA/AE, in support of food security

Organic.EdunetOrganic.Edunet is is an EU co-funded projectan EU co-funded project 3 years from Oct 20073 years from Oct 2007 €€4.8m4.8m

to provideto provide an online, freely-available portalan online, freely-available portal where learning materials on OA & AE can be publishedwhere learning materials on OA & AE can be published and accessed through specialized technologies to aid search, and accessed through specialized technologies to aid search,

retrieval and use of the collected contentretrieval and use of the collected content


Openly-available portalOpenly-available portal

Aimed at:Aimed at: European youthEuropean youth ProducersProducers FarmersFarmers ConsumersConsumers


Stages in buildingStages in building

develop metadata scheme for the develop metadata scheme for the description of digital learning resourcesdescription of digital learning resources

use to describe existing contentsuse to describe existing contents organise in repositoriesorganise in repositories federate local repositories federate local repositories provide a common point of access provide a common point of access

including advanced search capabilities, including advanced search capabilities, based on the Semantic Web visionbased on the Semantic Web vision


Search and Browse learning resources

Find scenarios - using organic resources in teaching and learning

Public Underpinned by..

Repository interface – manual or electronic upload

Federated repository

Database of scenarios

Ontologies – to support search and retrieval

Educational metadata (IEE LOM)


overall overall architecturearchitecture

Users

Web Portal Module

Semantic Services Module

Content Providers

Learning Resources Exchange Module

Federation of Learning Resource Repositories

Learning Repository Management Module

Public Resources

BIO@GRO

Intute

School

ENOAT

Organic.Edunet Federation of Learning

Repositories

ECOLOGICA/COMPASS


semantic semantic services services modulemodule

WSMO LOMR

OntologiesLOMR Module

RDF2WSMOConverter

Metadata Harversting Mechanism

LOM2WSMO Translator

Module

Semantic Services Module

uses

Web Service QueryInterface

Organic.Edunet Web Portal Module

Learning Repository Management Module


Procedure for the Procedure for the engineering of an engineering of an ontology on OA & AEontology on OA & AE


overall coverageoverall coverage

15 15 partners partners from 10 from 10 EU EU countriescountries


NegotiationNegotiation

Partners with differentPartners with different BackgroundsBackgrounds KnowledgeKnowledge InstitutionsInstitutions LanguageLanguage

must work together to deliver ontology must work together to deliver ontology in time as basis for rest of projectin time as basis for rest of project


EngineeringEngineering

No mature technologiesNo mature technologies OA & AE experts elaborate a listOA & AE experts elaborate a list built upon previous efforts:built upon previous efforts:

Bio@gro (Bio@gro (http://www.bioagro.grhttp://www.bioagro.gr)) FAO's AGROVOC (FAO's AGROVOC (

http://www.fao.org/aims/ag_intro.htmhttp://www.fao.org/aims/ag_intro.htm)) and othersand others

Includes mapping to those vocabulariesIncludes mapping to those vocabularies


Formulate modulesFormulate modules

Domain [subject] experts identify sub-domainsDomain [subject] experts identify sub-domains assisted by librarians and ontology experts assisted by librarians and ontology experts dividing the original list into microthesauri or dividing the original list into microthesauri or

modulesmodules Modules must be cohesive: all the concepts logically Modules must be cohesive: all the concepts logically

related will be part of the same modulerelated will be part of the same module Tentative high level modules: Tentative high level modules:

FarmingFarming DistributionDistribution ProcessingProcessing ConsumptionConsumption Waste managementWaste management


Add definitionsAdd definitions

Domain experts add agreed, Domain experts add agreed, unambiguous definitions for the termsunambiguous definitions for the terms

thus producing a “concept list”thus producing a “concept list” concept concept denotes terms whose definition denotes terms whose definition

and relation to other concepts has been and relation to other concepts has been establishedestablished


Develop initial ontologyDevelop initial ontology

Ontology experts develop initial Ontology experts develop initial ontology from concept listontology from concept list

Process to engineer each module Process to engineer each module separately into a sub-ontologyseparately into a sub-ontology

All sub-ontologies created in parallel All sub-ontologies created in parallel from the definitionsfrom the definitions


Evaluate using upper ontologyEvaluate using upper ontology

OE uses the OE uses the OpenCyc ontology: ‘OpenCyc ontology: ‘hundreds of thousands of hundreds of thousands of terms and millions of assertions relating the terms to each terms and millions of assertions relating the terms to each other, forming an upper ontology whose domain is “all of human other, forming an upper ontology whose domain is “all of human consensus reality”.’ consensus reality”.’

Evaluation process structured around four steps:Evaluation process structured around four steps:1.1. Find one or several terms in the OpenCyc upper ontology that Find one or several terms in the OpenCyc upper ontology that

subsume, are equal, or similar to the category under consideration.subsume, are equal, or similar to the category under consideration.

2.2. Check carefully that the mapping is consistent with the rest of the Check carefully that the mapping is consistent with the rest of the subsumers inside the upper ontology.subsumers inside the upper ontology.

3.3. Provide the appropriate predicates to characterize the new category.Provide the appropriate predicates to characterize the new category.

4.4. Edit the term in an ontology editor to come up with the final formal Edit the term in an ontology editor to come up with the final formal version.version.


Validation by exampleValidation by example

using scenarios of typical user interaction for using scenarios of typical user interaction for searching and retrieving resourcessearching and retrieving resources

to improve and refine the ontologyto improve and refine the ontology an iterative and incremental processan iterative and incremental process through which validated concepts and through which validated concepts and

relations will be added to the ontology in a relations will be added to the ontology in a continuous and systematic building methodcontinuous and systematic building method


Procedure for the Procedure for the engineering of an engineering of an ontology on OA & AEontology on OA & AE


ProblemsProblems

Domain experts preferred to see “the whole Domain experts preferred to see “the whole picture” not just “their” modulepicture” not just “their” module

Solution to build up a full list of tagged terms, Solution to build up a full list of tagged terms, where tags link terms to tentative modules where tags link terms to tentative modules where they could fitwhere they could fit

Division of this “full map” of concepts into Division of this “full map” of concepts into cohesive modules in the next iterationcohesive modules in the next iteration

Domain experts thus constructed a mind map Domain experts thus constructed a mind map of concepts, where they could later easily of concepts, where they could later easily work with one “branch” at a timework with one “branch” at a time


From lists of terms to ontologiesFrom lists of terms to ontologies

‘‘is a’ relationships need further is a’ relationships need further definitiondefinition

Subject experts needed to create those Subject experts needed to create those definitionsdefinitions

Ontology experts formalise relationshipOntology experts formalise relationship Once fully defined, ontology replaces Once fully defined, ontology replaces

concept lists, thesauri and term listsconcept lists, thesauri and term lists


Thesaurus sub-termsThesaurus sub-terms

Plant Production

Plant Health Diversity

Preventative Plant Protection

Crop Rotation


Plant ProductionIs an agricultural activity

Plant Healthis a prerequisite for Plant

Production

Diversityis a prerequisite for Plant

Production in organic agriculture

Plant protectionis a set of techniques and processes

to achieve Plant Health

Preventative Plant Protectionis a sub-set of techniques for

Plant Protection

Crop Rotationis a specific technique for Preventive Plant Protection

is a specific technique for obtaining Diversity

Ontological Ontological relationshipsrelationships


DimensionsDimensions

Perspective Perspective User User Space-and-timeSpace-and-time

Essential for advanced searches Essential for advanced searches To be included in content metadataTo be included in content metadata


The perspective dimensionThe perspective dimension

SocialSocial EconomicEconomic ProductionProduction EnvironmentalEnvironmental

Different users focus on different aspects of same Different users focus on different aspects of same subject subject

E.g. “Plant protection”:E.g. “Plant protection”: Environmental: biological aspects of plant health & plant Environmental: biological aspects of plant health & plant

protection, content of nutrientsprotection, content of nutrients Economic: cost-benefit of different plant protection Economic: cost-benefit of different plant protection

strategiesstrategies


The user dimensionThe user dimension

Educational levelEducational level ConsumerConsumer Farmer/producerFarmer/producer

Different users view terms and relationships to other Different users view terms and relationships to other terms with different levels of complexity terms with different levels of complexity

E.g “labelling”:E.g “labelling”: Consumer: ideology, structure of regulations and Consumer: ideology, structure of regulations and

accreditationaccreditation Farmer/producer: specific regulations concerning plant Farmer/producer: specific regulations concerning plant

productionproduction


The space-and-time dimensionThe space-and-time dimension

Spatial levelsSpatial levels Time horizonsTime horizons

Different users require information in relation to Different users require information in relation to different spatial and time characteristicsdifferent spatial and time characteristics

E.g.: E.g.: How wide: Symbiotic N2 fixation: at molecular, soil–plant How wide: Symbiotic N2 fixation: at molecular, soil–plant

mesocosm, field, farm, local, national or biosphere spatial mesocosm, field, farm, local, national or biosphere spatial levelslevels

How long: Soil nitrogen dynamics: within-year (plant-How long: Soil nitrogen dynamics: within-year (plant-available N during a growing season), medium-term (N available N during a growing season), medium-term (N balance during a crop rotation) or long-term (humus N balance during a crop rotation) or long-term (humus N dynamics over decades) time horizonsdynamics over decades) time horizons


Term selectionTerm selection

Goal of OA & AE: “To produce enough and Goal of OA & AE: “To produce enough and healthy food for the world’s population in a healthy food for the world’s population in a sustainable and ecological way”sustainable and ecological way”

Initial term selection focus on keywords: Initial term selection focus on keywords: Health, Care, Natural, Ecology, Quality, Health, Care, Natural, Ecology, Quality, Safety, Variation, Diversity and Fair Safety, Variation, Diversity and Fair

Terms chosen to relate to contentTerms chosen to relate to content


ConclusionConclusion

Collaborative process involving domain experts, Collaborative process involving domain experts, ontology experts, librarians, external consultants, etcontology experts, librarians, external consultants, etc

So only the two first steps of the full procedure So only the two first steps of the full procedure completed:completed: February 2008: Preliminary list of termsFebruary 2008: Preliminary list of terms May 2008: Initial list of tagged conceptsMay 2008: Initial list of tagged concepts September 2008: first version of the ontology (English only)September 2008: first version of the ontology (English only) end of September: translations to all the other eight end of September: translations to all the other eight

languages represented in the Organic.Edunet consortiumlanguages represented in the Organic.Edunet consortium October 2008- ontology will be used in pilot searches, results October 2008- ontology will be used in pilot searches, results

helping refine design and contenthelping refine design and content


connect toconnect to

need more information?need more information? want to get affiliated with want to get affiliated with

Organic.EdunetOrganic.Edunet?? visit visit

http://www.organic-edunet.euhttp://www.organic-edunet.eu emailemail

[email protected]@grnet.gr [email protected] [email protected]

Salvador Sánchez-Alonso, Jesús Cáceres Information Engineering research unit, University of Alcala, Spain Aage S. Holm, Geir Lieblein, Tor Arvid Breland.

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