The Impact of Ontologies and the Semantic Web on Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Publishing

Abstract

Ontologies are formal representations of knowledge that define the structure and meaning of information. By describing the content of ETDs with ontologies, it is possible to make them more interoperable, discoverable, and searchable. This paper seeks to investigate the influence of ontologies and the Semantic Web on ETD publishing and performance. This paper reviews the literature on ontologies and the Semantic Web and discusses how these technologies can be utilised to enhance the quality of ETD services. In addition, the paper provides case studies demonstrating how ontologies and the Semantic Web are utilised in ETDs. In each case, a comparison of features such as Ontology-based metadata, Semantic search engine, Semantic annotation tool, and Semantic portal was performed and presented in a tabular format, with a distinct section devoted to a discussion of these features. The paper demonstrates that ontologies and the Semantic Web can be used to enhance the interoperability, discoverability, and searchability of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs). It also indicates that ontologies and the Semantic Web can support more sophisticated search and retrieval functionality in ETDs.