War of Ontology Worlds: Mathematics, Computer Code, or Esperanto?
Author Information
Author(s): Andrey Rzhetsky, James A. Evans
Primary Institution: University of Chicago
Hypothesis
What are the different perspectives on ontologies among leading ontologists?
Conclusion
The study reveals three main perspectives on ontologies: as mathematics, computer code, and Esperanto, each with distinct values and implications for biomedical science.
Supporting Evidence
- Ontologies are used for various purposes in biomedicine, from billing to annotating experimental findings.
- Different ontologists have varying assumptions about the same ontologies, leading to diverse perspectives.
- The study identifies three archetypal views of ontologies: mathematics, computer code, and Esperanto.
Takeaway
This study talks about how different scientists think about ontologies, which are like special languages for organizing knowledge. Some think they should be very precise like math, others think they should be flexible like computer programs, and some believe they should help people from different fields talk to each other.
Methodology
The study involved conducting and summarizing interviews with 14 leading ontologists to gather their views on ontologies.
Limitations
The study reflects the views of a limited number of ontologists and may not capture the full diversity of opinions in the field.
Participant Demographics
Participants included ontologists with backgrounds in computer science, linguistics, philosophy, clinical bioinformatics, and biology.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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