KSG – Research and Post Graduate Topics

KSG is headed by Tommie Meyer.

KSG places strong emphasis on local and international collaboration in the formulation of research projects. The projects listed below are therefore all scoped, and will be executed, with local as well as international researchers and stakeholders. The KSG research focus areas are depicted by this diagram:

Ontology Engineering:

The Ontology Engineering domain consists of the Ontology Modeling, Ontology Engineering Methodologies and Ontology Integration and Coupling focus areas. With regards to ontology engineering, please email Aurona for more information.

Ontology Modeling:

Within the ontology modeling focus area we are primarily concerned with the use of formal representation mechanisms, specifically description logics, to model a domain of discourse.

Ontology Engineering Methodologies:

Within the ontology engineering methodologies focus area we investigate the methodologies, including methods, techniques, tools and patterns that are necessary to successfully construct (formal) ontologies, as well as the information systems that use these ontologies.

Ontology Integration and Coupling:

Within the ontology integration and coupling focus area we investigate the integration of ontologies into information systems and business models, as well as the coupling of ontologies with (legacy) database systems.

All the focua areas mentioned above will applied to the following research projects.

Projects:

1) Medical Ontologies:
An overview of existing medical classification systems, taxonomies and ontologies, their extension to meet South African needs, as well as their integration into existing and future medical information systems. The following provides a potential, not exhaustive, list of research topics:

1. A framework of existing medical taxonomies and ontologies and their shortcomings with regards to South African requirements
2. The extension with regards to modelling and representation required for an ontology such as SNOMED to meet South African requirements, with special focus on HIV/AIDS and XDRTB
3. The integration and coupling of medical ontologies with existing (legacy) and future medical information systems.

(2) Bio-surveillance and ontologies:
An overview of existing gene ontologies, as well as their extension and/or creation for bio-surveillance systems. The following provides a potential, not exhaustive, list of research topics:

1. A framework of existing gene taxonomies and ontologies, as well as their shortcomings with regards to South African bio-surveillance requirements
2. he establishment of a repeatable methodology for the creation and extension of ontologies for bio-surveillance
3. The creation, integration and extension of ontologies for bio-surveillance

(3) Indigenous knowledge systems and ontologies:
The creation and extension of ontologies to capture indigenous knowledge, with special focus on the integration of knowledge about medicinal plants into medical ontologies and eHealth systems. The list of potentional research topics to be defined, but similar to the previous lists.

Ontology Reasoning:

Representation:

Reasoning Methods:

Nature and Forms of Reasoning: