If the SS knowledge structure is available on the Web as an open meta-content, as is Mapping Sustainability (Choucri 2003), availability would be high. Besides,

actions concerning SS knowledge structuring can be subdivided into actions to access the SS knowledge structure and actions to interpret it. Access is ensured by the fulfillment of availability, so interpretability becomes the sixth requirement. By interpretability, we mean that the SS structured knowledge should help its users understand a problem and find an appropriate MCC950 chemical structure approach to its solution. Ontology-based knowledge structuring Information technology (IT) can provide effective methods for knowledge structuring. Some of the requirements discussed in “Requirements for knowledge structuring in sustainability science”, such as reusability, reproducibility, and extensibility, are easily satisfied using computer systems. For knowledge structuring using selleck chemical IT, raw data stored in computers to

reflect the real world are structured for efficient utilization. In the case Rabusertib ic50 of SS, which covers a large number of domains, well-organized knowledge is necessary for the efficient systematization of concepts that are hidden in the data. As the knowledge is shared and circulated across various domains, large intellectual assets are formed that lay the foundation for the idea that “Knowledge is Power” (Hendler 2006). One of the key technologies for organizing a conceptual world is ontology engineering, which is expected to contribute to the structuring of the knowledge in the target world. This paper proposes an initial transition of SS in this direction. As we mentioned PIK3C2G in the “Introduction”, in SS, it is often difficult to identify the problem to solve. We cannot take a quantitative approach because concepts and their relationships are not clear. One effective approach is to use a tool for supporting the thinking process for identifying what to solve. For example, the use of an ontology can help modelers

select appropriate variables during the construction of a simulation, and ontology engineering can also help to combine models constructed separately. Furthermore, an ontology functions as the platform for smoothing communication among stakeholders. Thus, ontology engineering is characterized as a tool for supporting thinking. Ontology is defined as an “explicit specification of conceptualization” by Gruber (1993). The construction of a well-designed ontology presents an explicit understanding of the target world that can be shared among people. That is, the essential conceptual structure of the target world is understood through its ontology. Ontology engineering provides a theory of ontology that can answer questions such as “What should an ontology be?” and “How can we capture the real world appropriately?” Based on ontology engineering, a wide range of knowledge can be organized in terms of general, highly versatile concepts and relationships.