Using objects for systems analysis
Communications of the ACM
Knowledge representation: logical, philosophical and computational foundations
Knowledge representation: logical, philosophical and computational foundations
Integrated process modeling: an ontological evaluation
Information Systems - The 11th international conference on advanced information systems engineering (CAiSE*
Aris-Business Process Frameworks
Aris-Business Process Frameworks
On the General Ontological Foundations of Conceptual Modeling
ER '02 Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Conceptual Modeling
Research Commentary: Information Systems and Conceptual Modeling--A Research Agenda
Information Systems Research
Ontological Engineering
Using ontology to validate conceptual models
Communications of the ACM - Service-oriented computing
Ontology based object-oriented domain modelling: fundamental concepts
Requirements Engineering
Complexity and clarity in conceptual modeling: comparison of mandatory and optional properties
Data & Knowledge Engineering - Special issue: Quality in conceptual modeling
How do practitioners use conceptual modeling in practice?
Data & Knowledge Engineering - Special issue: ER 2004
Information Systems Research
Theoretical foundations for conceptual modelling in information systems development
Decision Support Systems
Design science in information systems research
MIS Quarterly
Pattern-based approach for designing with diagrammatic and propositional conceptual models
DESRIST'11 Proceedings of the 6th international conference on Service-oriented perspectives in design science research
ER'11 Proceedings of the 30th international conference on Conceptual modeling
Towards design engineering of ubiquitous information systems
DESRIST'12 Proceedings of the 7th international conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems: advances in theory and practice
Assigning Ontological Meaning to Workflow Nets
Journal of Database Management
Journal of Database Management
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Conceptual models are used to support understanding of and communication about application domains in information systems development. Such models are created using modeling grammars usually employing graphic representation. To be effective, a grammar should support precise representation of domain concepts and their relationships. Ontology languages such as OWL emerged to define terminologies to support information sharing on the Web. These languages have features that enable representation of semantic relationships among domain concepts and of domain rules, not readily possible with extant conceptual modeling techniques. However, the emphasis in ontology languages has been on formalization and being computer-readable, not on how they can be used to convey domain semantics. Hence, it is unclear how they can be used as conceptual modeling grammars. We suggest using philosophically based ontological principles to guide the use of OWL as a conceptual modeling grammar. The paper presents specific guidelines for creating conceptual models in OWL and demonstrates, via example, the application of the guidelines to creating representations of domain phenomena. To test the effectiveness of the guidelines we conducted an empirical study comparing how well diagrams created with the guidelines support domain understanding in comparison to diagrams created without the guidelines. The results indicate that diagrams created with the guidelines led to better domain understanding of participants.