PHDCOM009 Information flow based Approach to Ontology Reasoning for Semantic Search

Due to their powerful knowledge representation formalism and associated inference mechanisms, ontology-based systems are emerging as a natural choice for the next generation of Knowledge Management Systems operating in organizational, inter-organizational as well as community contexts. Ontologies are set to play a key role in the ‘Semantic Web’ by providing a source of shared and precisely defined terms that can be used in descriptions of web resources. Reasoning over such descriptions will be essential if web resources are to be more accessible to automated processes. It would seem that such reasoning is largely based on 1st order predicate logic. We believe that reasoning based on semantic information and information flow would be more general, effective and insightful on the semantic level of the terms and complex constructs, which would also help re-examine the essence of well known algorithms for data mining. These we envisage would advance knowledge in semantic search in the Web and for databases in general. This proposed work is based on expertise (for example, Feng and Salt 2010, Xu et al 2009, Feng and Wang 2009, and Feng and Xu 2009) accumulated in the Database and Semantic Web Research Group at UWS through many years, and geared with an ambitious project for a large organisation in Scotland from which additional funding is possible.

The successful candidate will have in depth knowledge or demonstrable experience of the Semantic Web/Data Mining/Database Reasoning discipline and will be required to use his/her knowledge and experience (both academic and practical) to contribute to the research. Any software developing experience of the above areas is highly desirable.

The ideal candidate should hold a 2.1 or above Honours degree in computer science, information systems, or a closely related discipline. Any commercial experience of ontology engineering, data-mining or database implementation and development would be an advantage. A relevant master's degree would be desirable.