Workshop on Ontology Patterns

High-quality and reusable ontologies are considered as key element of the Semantic Web and for successful semantic applications. Ontology Design Patterns (ODPs) are addressing these quality and reusability issues by providing different types of patterns supporting ontology designers. ODPs are collected in various repositories, such as the catalogue maintained by the University of Manchester and the ODP portal at ontologydesignpatterns.org. However, pattern catalogues are still small and do not cover all types of patterns and all domains. Semantic Web applications could also benefit from additional types of patterns, such as enterprise model patterns and specialized software patterns for semantic applications. Patterns are an approach to knowledge reuse that proved feasible and very beneficial in various areas, such as software engineering and data modeling. Reuse has been an important research subject in ontology engineering and the semantic web community for many years. Patterns need to be shared by a community in order to provide a common language and stimulate pattern usage and development. Hence, the aim of this workshop was twofold providing an arena for proposing and discussing good practices, patterns, pattern-based ontologies, systems etc., broadening the pattern community that will develop its own “language” for discussing and describing relevant problems and their solutions.. The workshop included a track for research papers addressing various aspects of ontology patterns and investigating application areas, and a pattern track focusing on presentation and discussion of actual ontology patterns. We received 21 submissions for the paper and poster track of the workshop. The program committee selected 7 submissions for oral presentation and 8 submissions as short papers for presentation in the poster session. 13 ontology patterns were submitted to the workshop, of which 3 patterns were selected for discussion in the pattern writing session and 5 patterns for presentation in the poster session. Further information about the Workshop on Ontology Patterns can be found at: http://ontologydesignpatterns.org/wiki/WOP2009.