Ontolog invited Speaker Presentation - Professor Alan Rector - Thu 2006-09-14    (PLO)

Conference Call Details    (PLP)

Attendees    (PM6)

Agenda & Proceedings    (PME)

http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/resource/presentation/AlanRector_20060914/AlanRector_20060914.jpg [picture of Professor Alan Rector]    (PMG)

Abstract: (by AlanRector)    (PMH)

Terminologies and 'Ontologies' serve several disparate purposes:    (PMI)

Most current biomedical ontologies serve primarily the first three functions, with varying efforts towards formal logical criteria. However, there are aspirations, and sometimes claims, for more rigorous functions, and many standardisation efforts pre-suppose more and more formal structure.    (PMQ)

Each of these functions implies criteria for quality assurance. For example, for managing controlled vocabularies, process issues such as version control and coverage are most critical. Browsing raises issues of human computer interaction, and language raises its own issues. The last three all require a degree of logical coherence and rigour.    (PMR)

In addition to many biomedical ontologies, scaling is critical. Biomedical ontologies are large and potentially combinatorially explosive. For some applications, small enumerated terminologies are sufficient. For others, indefinitely large compositional ontologies that cannot, in principle, be pre-enumerated are required.    (PMS)

Finally almost all ontologies are based on many poorly articulated assumptions. Any quality assurance methodology must take account both of what can be understood independent of consultation with the originators and what conclusions can be reached after consultation with the originators.    (PMT)

Overall we propose an approach to quality along two dimensions - process and content - and a two stage process - the first independent of consultation with the originating authority, the second in consultation with the originating authority.    (PMU)

Alan Rector is Professor of Medical Informatics in the School of Computer Science at University of Manchester. He currently leads the MRC funded E-Science Projects CLEF/CLEF-Services and the JISC/EPSRC jointly funded CO-ODE/HyOntUse projects on ontology development tools. His research interests are in knowledge representation and management, user interface design, and practical support of clinical patient care. He has led the MRC/DoH funded PEN&PAD programme on user centred design of intelligent clinical interfaces, the EC funded GALEN programme a large reference ontology for clinical medicine. He is a member of the W3C Semantic Web Best Practices Working Group and on HL7, CEN and ISO working groups on healthcare terminology. In 2003 he was awarded the first BCS Award for Lifetime Achievement in Health Informatics. Address: School of Computer Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL. email: rector-at-cs.man.ac.uk    (PN2)

Session Recording of the AlanRector Talk    (PNC)

 (Thanks to KurtConrad and PeterYim for their help with getting the session recorded.  -ppy)    (PND)