Ontology change detection using a version log

Abstract

In this article, we propose a new ontology evolution approach that combines a top-down and a bottom-up approach. This means that the manual request for changes (top-down) by the ontology engineer is complemented with an automatic change detection mechanism (bottom-up). The approach is based on keeping track of the different versions of ontology concepts throughout their lifetime (called virtual versions). In this way, changes can be defined in terms of these virtual versions. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.