Neontology

Neontology is a field that studies the creation and governance of new ontologies, systems of concepts and categories used to model knowledge. The term combines neo- meaning new with ontology, signaling its focus on contemporary or evolving commitments in knowledge representation. Neontology is typically described as interdisciplinary, drawing on philosophy, computer science, information science, and linguistics.

The scope and aims: It examines how new ontologies are conceived, defined, validated, and maintained in domains such as data science, AI, and the semantic web. It emphasizes methodological rigor in conceptual analysis, formalization with knowledge representation languages, and governance practices for versioning, provenance, and interoperability. It also considers social and organizational dimensions of ontology development.

Relationship to related fields: Neontology overlaps with ontology engineering, upper-ontology research, and domain-specific modeling, as well as philosophical ontology and epistemology. It often addresses questions about how to reconcile competing ontological commitments across communities.

Methods and concepts: Core methods include domain analysis, modularization, alignment and mapping, and formalization using languages such as OWL or RDF. It addresses best practices for documentation, reuse, and sustainability of ontological resources.

Applications and challenges: Applications appear in knowledge graphs, data integration, digital libraries, and AI systems requiring shared vocabularies. Challenges include interoperability across versions, governance and stewardship, ethical considerations, and securing consensus among diverse stakeholders.

History and terminology: The term neontology is not universally standardized and exists mainly in niche discussions. It is used to describe the study of newly introduced ontologies and their management within broader knowledge-representation efforts.

See also: ontology, ontology engineering, semantic web, knowledge representation.

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