Conceptual Modelling and Representation of Domains of Human Action: Contributions From Information Science/Knowledge Organization

The current Big Data phenomenon bears similarities to the so-called information explosion that gave rise to Information Science (IS) in the 1950s. To discover, access, interpret, make sense of and reuse the growing volume of digital data, conceptual modelling has emerged as an essential discipline and is now a fundamental area of research. Conceptual modelling originated in Computer Science (CS), specifically within the field of databases. However, IS and Knowledge Organization (KO) have long developed theories, methodologies, and best practices for constructing information and knowledge organization systems that can be applied to conceptual modelling and ontological analysis. What are the contributions of IS/KO to conceptual modelling? This article is a position paper that presents and discusses the contributions of IS and KO to the modelling and ontological analysis of domains of human action. The focus is on the work of authors such as Hjørland, Ranganathan, and Dahlberg. Similarities and differences between conceptual modelling in CS and IS/KO are examined, with particular emphasis on the growing convergence between Information Science/Knowledge Organization and Computer Science.