Ontocleaning the okkam conceptual model

Abstract

The way people define and use identifiers to refer to entities has been under (philosophical) investigation for a long time. This problem gained attention also in the context of the Semantic Web, where the Identity Crisis has threatened one of the cornerstones of the proposed vision: the unambiguous identification of Resources. In this paper we present the application of OntoClean as a formal methodology to formally validate the Okkam Conceptual Model that was proposed to address the problem of identity and reference. In performing such analysis, we unfold some of the philosophical problems affecting the representation of several types of real world entities, presenting a literature review and arguing in favor of some interpretation. This is done with the twofold purpose of contributing to the ongoing debate, and fostering the definition of a shared vision about the problem that will support further advancements in development of the Semantic Web vision. Furthermore, we argue in favor of the adoption of the Okkam IDs as globally persistent and rigid identifiers as a sound solution to the problem of the Identity and Reference in the context of the Semantic Web.