Conceptual modelling and ontology: Possibilities and pitfalls

被引：63

作者：

Weber, Ron ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD

来源：

Journal of Database Management | 2003年 / 14卷 / 03期

关键词：

Conceptual modelling; Conceptual modelling grammars; Decomposition; Information systems development; Ontology; Real-world semantics; Representation;

D O I：

10.4018/jdm.2003070101

中图分类号：

学科分类号：

摘要：

Conceptual modelling is an activity undertaken during information systems development work to build a representation of selected semantics about some real-world domain. Ontological theories have been developed to account for the structure and behavior of the real world in general. In this paper, I discuss why ontological theories can be used to inform conceptual modelling research, practice, and pedagogy. I provide examples from my research to illustrate how a particular ontological theory has enabled me to improve my understanding of certain conceptual modelling practices and grammars. I describe, also, how some colleagues and I have used this theory to generate several counter-intuitive, sometimes surprising predictions about widely advocated conceptual modelling practices - predictions that subsequently were supported in empirical research we undertook. Finally, I discuss several possibilities and pitfalls I perceived to be associated with our using ontological theories to underpin research on conceptual modelling.

引用

页码：1 / 20

页数：19

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