One way to conceptualise the Ontology Service is as an enhanced thesaurus-a thesaurus defined as a tool that fixes the vocabulary of a given subject area. Whether one wishes to describe a particular information resource or retrieve it from the Internet, one faces the same problem of what term or terms convey precise semantic information about the resource. For example, without the aid of a controlled vocabulary one may wonder whether to use the term "car," "automobile," or "vehicle" in performing a given search on the Internet. With a thesaurus, however, the searcher may be advised that "automobile" should be used instead of "car," and that "vehicle" is a broader term than "automobile" and therefore should be used in a different context. The degree to which terminology is semantically precise will have a direct impact on the degree to which relevant information can be found.

An Ontology Service takes this conceptual framework one step further by structuring the terms more formally, and by providing richer relationships between concepts than what is currently provided in thesauri. Through the formal definition of terms, and a more precise description of relationships between terms, the user will be provided with a much richer contextual setting in which to make assessments of relevance and usage. At the same time, by more formally structuring the context and meaning of terms, ontologies become an integral part of the Semantic Web, described by Tim Berners-Lee as "an extension of the current Web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in co-operation."

In response to such a new approach to managing vocabularies, WAICENT has recently issued a Concept Note for the development of an Agricultural Ontology Service (AOS). The AOS project will function as a tool to help structure and standardize agricultural terminology in multiple languages for use by any number of different systems around the world.

The main objectives of the AOS are to provide a framework for:

• better indexing of resources;
• better retrieval of resources; and
• increased interaction within the agricultural community.

With respect to the Semantic Web initiative, the AOS would strive to:

• increase the efficiency and consistency with which multilingual agricultural resources are described and associated together;
• increase functionality and relevance in accessing these resources; and
• provide a framework for sharing common descriptions, definitions and relations within the agricultural community.

Once constructed, the Agricultural Ontology Service will offer a contextually rich and modern framework for modelling, serving, and managing agricultural terminology. When integrated with Web-based search tools, it will greatly facilitate resource retrieval, not only providing access to the specific documents that a particular individual is looking for, but also offering suggestions for other related resources that are potentially relevant to the topic of interest. Such additional functionality will not only dramatically increase the scope of Web-based search engines, but will also revolutionize the way users interested in agricultural resources interact with the Web. As an integral part of WAICENT, the AOS will pay a strategic role in FAO's effort to fight hunger with information.

See the full proposal at: Agricultural Ontology Service (AOS)"A tool for Facilitating Access to Knowledge" - Concept Note Version 5.5

See also Conference papers and presentations

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