A core ontology of macroscopic stuff

Abstract

Domain ontologies contain representations of types of stuff (matter, mass, or substance), such as milk, alcohol, and mud, which are represented in a myriad of ways that are neither compatible with each other nor do they follow a structured approach within the domain ontology. Foundational ontologies and Ontology distinguish between pure stuff and mixtures only, if it contains stuff. We aim to fill this gap between foundational and domain ontologies by applying the notion of a ‘bridging’ core ontology, being an ontology of categories of stuff that is formalised in OWL. This core ontology both refines the DOLCE and BFO foundational ontologies and resolves the main type of interoperability issues with stuffs in domain ontologies, thereby also contributing to better ontology quality. Modelling guidelines are provided to facilitate the Stuff Ontology’s use.