Ontology and Taxonomy
DM Review, May, 2008 by Steve Hoberman
Like many concepts in our field, ontology and taxonomy have more than one definition. In addition, these definitions can sometimes contain vague or ambiguous phrases.The Challenge In simple terms and using an example if possible, how would you define ontology and taxonomy, and how do they differ? The Response Gordon Everest, professor emeritus, provides this succinct explanation: “The synonym for ontology would be model (of something in data), and the synonym for taxonomy would be tree.” Robert Ruffin, data architect, offers this example: “The taxonomy of a tiger is that it is a subtype of cat (classification), but an ontological description may be that the tiger has a relationship to Asia, the continent on which it lives.”
An ontology is a formal way of organizing...
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