Irina A. Leshcheva

Gestalt principles of creating learning business ontologies for knowledge codification

This paper presents an approach aimed at creating business ontologies for knowledge codification in company. It is based on the principles of ontological engineering and cognitive psychology. Ontologies that describe the main concepts of knowledge are used both for knowledge creation and codification. The proposed framework is targeted at the development of methodologies that can scaffold the process of knowledge structuring and orchestrating for better understanding and knowledge sharing. The orchestrating procedure is the kernel of ontology development. The main stress is put on using visual techniques of mind mapping. Cognitive bias and some results of Gestalt psychology are highlighted as a general guideline. The ideas of balance, clarity, and beauty are applied to the ontology orchestrating procedures. The examples are taken mainly from the project management practice. The paper contributes to managerial practice by describing the practical recommendations for effective knowledge management based on ontology engineering and knowledge structuring techniques.

Ontology design and individual cognitive peculiarities

Visual ontology design is affected by cognitive peculiarities of expert or analyst.Field-independence, reflection and category width are main cognitive style features.Ontology assessment is feasible via cognitive ergonomic metrics.Collaborative ontology design may have several different scenarios. The paper presents the main results of the KOMET (Knowledge and cOntent structuring via METhods of collaborative ontology design) project, which aims to develop a novel paradigm for knowledge structuring based on the interplay between cognitive psychology and ontology engineering. By the knowledge structure (a conceptual model) we define the main domain concepts and relations between them in the form of a graph, map or diagram. This approach considers individual cognitive styles and uses recent advances in knowledge engineering and conceptual structuring; it aims to create new, consistent and structurally holistic knowledge bases for various areas of science and technology. Two stages of research have been completed: research into correlations between the experts individual cognitive style and the peculiarities of the experts subject domain ontology development; and research into correlations between the experts individual cognitive style and the group ontology design (including design accomplished by groups of experts with either similar or different cognitive styles). The results of these research stages can be applied to organizing collaborative ontology design (especially for research and learning purposes), data structuring and other group analytical work. Implications for practice are briefly delineated.

Measuring Psychological Impact on Group Ontology Design and Development: An Empirical Approach

This paper describes the interdisciplinary problems of group ontology design. It highlights the importance of studying individual features of cognitive style and their influence on the specifics of collaborative group ontology design and development. The paper describes the preliminary results of the research project focused on working out a new paradigm for structuring data and knowledge with respect to individual cognitive styles, using recent advances in knowledge engineering and conceptual structuring, aimed at creating new consistent and structurally holistic knowledge bases for various domains. The results of this research effort can be applied to organizing the group ontology design (especially for learning purposes), data structuring and other collaborative analytical work.

Collective Ontologies Design and Development

The paper presents the research performed within the KOMET (Knowledge and content structuring via Methods of collaborative ontology design) project targeted at of a new structuring paradigm design for data and knowledge. Such approach is formed with regard to individual cognitive styles and it uses recent advances in knowledge engineering and conceptual structuring, aimed at creating new consistent and structurally holistic knowledge bases for the various areas of science and technology. Three stages of research have been done within the project. The results of these research stages described in the paper can be applied to organizing the collaborative ontology design (especially for research and learning purposes), data structuring and other group analytical work. Some implications for practice are proposed.

How the cognitive features testing can assist in evaluating collective ontology engineering

The paper is devoted to the interplay issues between ontology engineering and cognitive psychology. It describes the study targeted at new visual structuring paradigm of ontology development. Such approach is formed with regard to personal cognitive features. The research was performed within the KOMET knowledge and content structuring via methods of collaborative ontology design project. Two phases of research have been done within the project. First was devoted to study of correlations between the experts personal cognitive style features and the peculiarities of experts subject domain ontology development procedure. The second deals with research on the relationship between the experts individual cognitive style and the collective ontology design including the design performed in groups consisting of experts either of similar or of different cognitive styles. The results of this research project can be applied to organising the collaborative ontology design, data and content structuring and other group analytical work.