Linear Diagrams for Interactive Ontology Engineering - Project ID SOC0003

Applications are invited for a fully-funded 3-year PhD studentship within the School of Computing. The studentship will cover the UK/European Union rate of tuition fees and will include a standard living allowance at the RCUK rate. Applicants from outside the European Union will have to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to top up the fees to the overseas rate.

The studentship is expected to start on 01 October 2018.

The School of Computing undertakes research across a broad range of areas in computing and informatics including: bio-inspired computing; cyber-security; e-Government; e-Health; future interactions; make-believe; interactive graphics and simulation; information science; information society; information visualization; networks & distributed computing; social informatics; software engineering & systems and urban interaction design.

Details of the research areas and research centres can be found at https://www.napier.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-search/school-centre-area/school-of-computing

We have recently made significant investments in research facilities and recruited additional academics with strong research capabilities. Applications in the research areas in which these people have a specific interest would be particularly welcome. These areas include:

Linear Diagrams for Interactive Ontology Engineering

This project aims to alter how engineers interact with ontology editors. Currently, engineers produce ontologies using purely textual inputs. Whilst visualisation of ontologies is common-place, the visualisations are all static; one cannot change the visualisation and have the underlying ontology automatically update. The goal of this project, then, is to create an interactive visualisation for ontologies which can alter the ontology itself. The proposed visualisation is linear diagrams, but the successful candidate is not limited to just this approach.

Academic qualifications
A first degree (at least a 2.1) ideally in Computer Science or Mathematics. with a good fundamental knowledge of set theory and logic.

English language requirement
IELTS score must be at least 6.5 (with not less than 6.0 in each of the four components). Other, equivalent qualifications will be accepted. Full details of the University’s policy are available here https://www.napier.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-degrees/application-process

Essential attributes:
• Experience of fundamental concepts in set theory and logic.
• Competent in computer programming.
• Knowledge of visualisation techniques.
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Strong motivation, with evidence of independent research skills relevant to the project
• Good time management

Desirable attributes:
Knowledge of software engineering would be beneficial.

Informal enquiries about the topic can be made to Dr Peter Chapman: [Email Address Removed], telephone: 0131 455 2962. General enquiries about the studentship can be made to Professor Ahmed Al-Dubai [Email Address Removed], telephone: 0131 455 2796.