Ontologies and the semantic web

The goal of semantic web research is to allow the vast range of web-accessible information and services to be more effectively exploited by both humans and automated tools. To facilitate this process, RDF and OWL have been developed as standard formats for the sharing and integration of data and knowledge--the latter in the form of rich conceptual schemas called ontologies. These languages, and the tools developed to support them, have rapidly become de facto standards for ontology development and deployment; they are increasingly used, not only in research labs, but in large scale IT projects. Although many research and development challenges still remain, these "semantic web technologies" are already starting to exert a major influence on the development of information technology.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: CACM
• Authors: Ian Horrocks
• Keywords: CACM 2008, Rich Conceptual Schemas, Semantic Web, Semantic Web Research