GINO - A guided input natural language ontology editor

Abstract

The casual user is typically overwhelmed by the formal logic of the Semantic Web. The gap between the end user and the logic-based scaffolding has to be bridged if the Semantic Web's capabilities are to be utilized by the general public. This paper proposes that controlled natural languages offer one way to bridge the gap. We introduce GINO, a guided input natural language ontology editor that allows users to edit and query ontologies in a language akin to English. It uses a small static grammar, which it dynamically extends with elements from the loaded ontologies. The usability evaluation shows that GINO is well-suited for novice users when editing ontologies. We believe that the use of guided entry overcomes the habitability problem, which adversely affects most natural language systems. Additionally, the approach's dynamic grammar generation allows for easy adaptation to new ontologies. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.