Ontological Framework for S. R. Ranganathan’s Theory of the Origin of Knowledge: Unveiling the Structural Essence of the “Brain Chamber” Concept

Abstract

Creating an ontology on any subject is complex and intellectually demanding, requiring great attention to detail. This study attempts to develop an ontology (Brain Chamber Ontology) centred around S. R. Ranganathan’s Theory of the Origin of Knowledge and the concept of the Brain Chamber, as given in his seminal book, Prolegomena to Library Classification. The METHONTOLOGY approach, a mature ontology development method, was employed to achieve this. The created ontology was subjected to rigorous evaluation to ascertain its efficacy. SPARQL queries were formulated to assess the ontology’s performance, gauging its ability to provide meaningful answers. Additionally, the quality of the ontology was measured using the FOCA methodology. The built-in reasoners played a crucial role in verifying the internal consistency of the ontology. Its performance in responding to SPARQL queries suggests a robust representation of Ranganathan’s Theory of the Origin of Knowledge. Furthermore, applying the FOCA methodology underscored the ontology’s quality and adherence to established standards.