Introducing OWL
Part 1 introduces the basics of the Web Ontology Language (OWL) using plenty of examples. Building an ontology means creating a model to describe some subject matter of interest in a way that supports automated reasoning. Using OWL consists primarily in being able to represent the following three ideas:
1. individual things, e.g., JaneDoe,
2. kinds of things, e.g., Organization, and
3. kinds of relationships, e.g., worksFor.
We describe the many ways that the above three things can be combined and used. Ontologies and the data that populate them are stored in knowledge graphs composed of triples. Triples assert relationships between things—e.g., JaneDoe worksFor Microsoft. Automated reasoners conclude new information.
Chapter 1 introduces the main ideas using informal conversational terminology that is independent from OWL per se. The focus is to identify the kinds of things that you need to say when you build an ontology. Chapter 2 explains how to say those things in OWL. It introduces the formal OWL terminology for the foundational ideas described in the first chapter. Chapter 3 goes a bit deeper into a variety of things that are important to get going in OWL quickly. It will help you think in the right way and avoid some common mistakes.
By the end of Part 1, you will have seen the 30% of OWL that you will use 90% of the time.