CFP: Integration of conceptual models for cultural content

Call for Papers

                              Workshop on
     Exploring the limits of global models for integration and use
                   of historical and scientific information

October 23-24 2006
ICS-FORTH,  Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Effective large scale information integration requires an agreement on the 
common semantics of the data structure elements and other categories employed. 
Recently, there has been increasing doubt about the possibility of global 
ontological models. However, knowledge integration based on mere similarity of 
categories, such as "inexact equivalence" does not allow for precise, global 
querying advanced reasoning, or interoperability. On the other hand, practical 
core ontologies such as CIDOC/CRM (ISO/PRF 21127) demonstrate a surprisingly 
wide validity over multiple domains.  This workshop explores the limits of such 
global models for integrating and making use of historical and scientific 
information, in order to enhance both, our theoretical understanding of the 
limits of ontological agreement in a specific application setting, and our 
practical understanding of how to implement effective large scale knowledge 
integration services and exploit the power of global models.

The application of formal ontologies in cultural domains such as museums, 
libraries, and archives, the semantic web, and other related areas, inevitably 
raises difficult theoretical problems which appear to complicate the 
development of practical ontologies. For instance, these problems affect 
directly the performance of information systems, when there is no agreement on 
the identity and unity of referred items, such as:

* Does Tut-Ankh Amun still exist (i.e. as a mummy)?
* Is Luther's translation an expression of the Holy Bible or another work?
* Is Caesar's coming to the Curia a part of the event of his murder?

How can the respective ontological choices be objectified, and how can they be 
reconciled in practical applications?  To which degree compatible 
generalizations of a model can compensate inconsistencies following the 
widening of the scope of a model? What are the limits of ontology 
harmonization?  Which kinds of concepts tend to be globally compatible and 
which not, and in which sense? This workshop elicits contributions related to 
studies, experiences and practical and theoretical solutions around the above 
problems. As well as formal information systems approaches to these problems we 
welcome contributions based on perspectives from philosophy, from cognitive 
science, and from the social sciences.

On the other side, this workshop elicits contributions about the application 
and prospects and limits of domain overarching information integration, in 
particular with respect to cultural heritage and scientific information. Issues 
in this area include...

* Models for the semantic interoperability and integration of scientific and 
cultural information and possibly other disciplines.

* The long-term preservation and future interoperability of data structure semantics.

* Scalable information architectures, linking and reasoning services under 
semantic models, in particular scalable solutions.

The following topics are of particular interest:

* Philosophical implications or controversies with respect ontological choices 
of the CIDOC CRM, FRBR and other core ontologies for information in libraries, 
archives, museum and scientific data repositories.

* Identity and temporal existence of conceptual items. Identity of Works. Can 
works or texts gain or lose non-relational properties? Is identity based on the 
continuity of tradition or essential properties?

* Work as continuant versus Work as occurrent.

*  Identity and substance of events, parts of events, spatiotemporal limits of 
events in non-discrete models compatible with the nature of historical records.

Methods for managing the practical needs of information systems...

* Objective criteria for selecting and justifying ontological choices in 
information systems

* Harmonization of ontologies. Can Digital Libraries be based on one global 
information model, or why not?

* Integrating cultural and scientific heritage: Scientific records as 
historical data. Integrated access and (re)use. E-science metadata. The 
relevance of factual knowledge for e-science.

* Preservation of data structure semantics -- interoperability with the future.

* Knowledge extraction and core ontologies.

* Document linking and semantic relationships.

Organizers: CIDOC CRM Special Interest Group, ICS-FORTH, DELOS Network of 
Excellence.

Workshop Chairs: Martin Doerr and Allen Renear

Submission Information:

Proposals 1000-1750 word extended abstraact
             (excluding bibliography and a 100-300 word short abstract)

Due August 1st 2006.

Notification of Acceptance: August 25th.

Format: PDF. With author's contact information (including phone numbers and 
email addresses) clearly evident near the top of the proposal.

Email proposal as an attachment to Allen Renear (renear@uiuc.edu) cc to Martin 
Doerr, martin@ics.forth.gr. Receipt of submissions will be acknowledged.

The authors of the best contributions will be invited to submit full papers for 
a special issue in the Journal for Applied Ontologies.

Received on Tuesday, 11 July 2006 16:29:31 UTC