Progressive Concepts for Semantic Web Evolution: Applications and Developments

Citation

Mason, D. (2011), "Progressive Concepts for Semantic Web Evolution: Applications and Developments", Online Information Review, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp. 166-167. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684521111113687

The semantic web is based on the concept that meaning resides in documents, and that documents, such as the internet, can be presented using formal descriptions and formats so that data interchange can be automated. If this is done, then the documents on the internet can be linked, not by being classified, but by examining the ideas contained in them. The underlying assumption of the semantic web is that machines can be taught to interpret statements in documents and make assumptions about the real world in the same way that humans can.

This exciting possibility has been long anticipated, but very difficult to achieve. The 14 articles presented here cover emerging research in such areas as mobile ontologies, fuzzy databases, semantic annotations and other esoteric applications of this new science. Much of the research in this area focuses on the theory of semantics, knowledge discovery, ontological relationships and epistemology. As the articles here show, there is still disagreement in all these areas, and work is ongoing into many different and competing approaches. Although this is a highly theoretical science, the examples are not all dry theory: one article looks at the ontological problems that same sex marriages cause for database designers.

Many of the articles address the additional problems of applying semantic web concepts to mobile technology, where the contents of the internet documents are constantly changing in real time. For example, mobile phones can take an image of a 2‐D barcode from an airline poster advertisement and immediately access flight information, and combine this with GPS location information to access a taxi and book accommodation. All of this requires not just sophisticated technology, but instant consolidation of information fragments from disparate sources.

Other articles are indeed deeply mathematical, using complex set theory to attempt to define ordered sets of words and concepts so that one can successfully map different kinds of relationships between the contents of documents on the internet, but also include non‐internet objects that are data aware, such as barcodes, RFID tags and scanners.

At the heart of all this is the basic foundation of library science, information retrieval, but applied in ways and areas far outside of the traditional discipline. As the digitisation of life expands and the internet becomes ever more pervasive, these techniques will assume greater importance.

This book can be regarded as a snapshot of the state of the art just now. Many of the articles present ideas that are speculative, incomplete and controversial, but this simply reflects an area of research that is changing daily and will ultimately affect us all.