---
title: Reverse Engineering Ontology to Conceptual Data Models
url: https://www.emergentmind.com/papers/0412036
type: paper
arxiv_id: '0412036'
arxiv_url: https://arxiv.org/abs/0412036
published: '2004-12-08'
categories:
- cs.DC
- cs.DB
---

# Reverse Engineering Ontology to Conceptual Data Models

## Abstract

Ontologies facilitate the integration of heterogeneous data sources by resolving semantic heterogeneity between them. This research aims to study the possibility of generating a domain conceptual model from a given ontology with the vision to grow this generated conceptual data model into a global conceptual model integrating a number of existing data and information sources. Based on ontologically derived semantics of the BWW model, rules are identified that map elements of the ontology language (DAML+OIL) to domain conceptual model elements. This mapping is demonstrated using TAMBIS ontology. A significant corollary of this study is that it is possible to generate a domain conceptual model from a given ontology subject to validation that needs to be performed by the domain specialist before evolving this model into a global conceptual model.