TY - JOUR
T1 - Agreeing to disagree
T2 - Reconciling conflicting taxonomic views using a logic-based approach
AU - Cheng, Yi Yun
AU - Franz, Nico
AU - Schneider, Jodi
AU - Yu, Shizhuo
AU - Rodenhausen, Thomas
AU - Ludäscher, Bertram
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Cheng, Franz, Schneider, Yu, Rodenhausen, Ludäscher
PY - 2017/1
Y1 - 2017/1
N2 - Taxonomy alignment is a way to integrate two or more taxonomies. Semantic interoperability among datasets, information systems and knowledge bases is facilitated by combining the different input taxonomies into merged taxonomies that reconcile apparent differences or conflicts. We show how alignment problems can be solved with a logic-based region connection calculus (RCC-5) approach, using five base relations to compare concepts: congruence, inclusion, inverse inclusion, overlap and disjointness. To illustrate this method, we use different geo-taxonomies, which organize the United States into several, apparently conflicting, geospatial hierarchies. For example, we align TCEN, a taxonomy derived from the Census Bureau's regions map, with TNDC, from the National Diversity Council (NDC), and with TTZ, a taxonomy capturing the U.S. time zones. Using these case studies, we show how this logic-based approach can reconcile conflicts between taxonomies. We have implemented these case studies with an open source tool called Euler/X which has been applied primarily for solving complex alignment problems in biological classification. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility and broad applicability of this approach to other domains and alignment problems in support of semantic interoperability.
AB - Taxonomy alignment is a way to integrate two or more taxonomies. Semantic interoperability among datasets, information systems and knowledge bases is facilitated by combining the different input taxonomies into merged taxonomies that reconcile apparent differences or conflicts. We show how alignment problems can be solved with a logic-based region connection calculus (RCC-5) approach, using five base relations to compare concepts: congruence, inclusion, inverse inclusion, overlap and disjointness. To illustrate this method, we use different geo-taxonomies, which organize the United States into several, apparently conflicting, geospatial hierarchies. For example, we align TCEN, a taxonomy derived from the Census Bureau's regions map, with TNDC, from the National Diversity Council (NDC), and with TTZ, a taxonomy capturing the U.S. time zones. Using these case studies, we show how this logic-based approach can reconcile conflicts between taxonomies. We have implemented these case studies with an open source tool called Euler/X which has been applied primarily for solving complex alignment problems in biological classification. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility and broad applicability of this approach to other domains and alignment problems in support of semantic interoperability.
KW - RCC-5
KW - semantic interoperability
KW - taxonomy alignment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85040792247&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85040792247&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/pra2.2017.14505401006
DO - 10.1002/pra2.2017.14505401006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85040792247
SN - 2373-9231
VL - 54
SP - 46
EP - 56
JO - Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology
JF - Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology
IS - 1
ER -