Bridge-Concepts: Establishing Harmonized Networks of Ontologies

This study introduces a tool and methodology for the creation of harmonized networks of ontologies, a precondition for the full exploitation of data in federated distributed systems. Bridge-Concepts are designed to alleviate well-known challenges in ontology mapping and to address network-specific issues, such as scalability and consistency. As standalone ontology entities, they function as data pipelines in hub-and-spoke structures. Designed with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles in mind, their rich informal characterization makes them user-friendly interfaces and candidates for a vocabulary tailored specifically for ontology usage. Bridge-Concepts form the central element of a network-specific alignment methodology based on pragmatic criteria that can be further improved by introducing high-level ontologies and automatic tools in the loop. This approach is based on an analysis of the limits of meaning-encoding within semantic artifacts.