The Development of the Information Science and Knowledge Studies Occupations Ontology

Abstract

The aim of this study is to design an ontology for occupations within the field of Information Science and Knowledge Studies. This research is applied in nature and follows a descriptive research methodology. The study population includes all occupations related to information science and knowledge studies. To identify and compile a list of occupations in this field in Iran, various resources were reviewed, including the regulations of the National Employment Organization, the Iranian Job Bank book, and lists of occupations related to information science and knowledge studies from advanced countries. Following this, based on an analysis of the curriculum and the skills acquired by students in this field, a number of occupations were identified and incorporated into the final list. For the conceptual modeling of occupations within information science and knowledge studies, a domain analysis approach was utilized, and the content and face validity of the proposed model were confirmed by eight experts in professional studies within the country. Finally, the ontology for occupations in information science and knowledge studies was designed using version five of the Protégé software. This study employed the seven-step ontology development methodology proposed by Sandelowski, which includes determining the scope of the ontology, establishing the ontology hierarchy, identifying conceptual pairs, defining classes, describing attributes, specifying facets, and creating instances. The study identified various occupations and the skills required for each, resulting in an ontology comprising four main classes and 90 subclasses. The proposed ontology can significantly contribute to the classification of occupations and the creation of knowledge-based job databases. Furthermore, it can assist relevant institutions and organizations, such as the Iranian Library and Information Science Association, in defining job positions within the field. Academic groups and students can also use this ontology to support the teaching and learning of the skills needed for employment.