The Open Semantic Framework is a software stack that’s integrated through the use of semantic technologies for information management. It comprises a layered architecture that integrates existing open-source software with other software elements. The Open Semantic Framework program was initiated in 2009, as an integrated content program that can be accessed through the web, providing information management capabilities for organizations. It was previously known as structWSF. Since 2009, Structure Dynamics and its partner clients have invested a great deal of time and effort into the program. In this article, we will explore essential aspects of the Open Semantic Framework, including crucial improvements made to it through the years
The Open Semantic Framework facilitates the access, collection, and curation of ontologies that abridges experience and knowledge in a machine-understandable manner. By doing so, it enables automated decision making and reasoning on top of data models and allows semantic applications to use general knowledge and domain-specific models. The Open Semantic Framework also addresses several major challenges to the broad use of integrated semantic models, by helping people who have little knowledge about ontologies to understand and extend them, and by making the models more tangible through advanced human-interface technologies.
The Open Semantic Framework offers access to existing knowledge, both in the Knowledge packs and the core ontologies via a controlled querying interface in a REST API. The interface is based on existing SPARQL query templates inside a Knowledge Pack. Therefore, Knowledge packs not only influence what kind of knowledge is accessible but also how the applications access it. This mechanism is designed to prevent clients from extracting knowledge from the Open Semantic Framework, and to restrict any unnecessary modifications to the knowledge models from taking place. These two aspects are essential for the commercial relevance of any semantic framework.
The Open Semantic Framework can combine and manage all types of content–spreadsheets, structured databases, unstructured documents, and semi-structured files–through best-of-breed data management and indexing engines. The external data is translated into the canonical Resource Distribution Framework data model, which enables common tools and techniques for managing and tagging the entire content. Ontologies offer common vocabulary and the schema for integrating across various datasets. These functions can be stratified over existing data assets for new levels of connectivity and integration. All data within the Open Semantic Framework may be powerfully faceted and searched, and the results datasets can be exported as linked data and in various formats.
To facilitate the use of semantic technologies and the integration of semantic models, we need an integrated and common engineering solution that allows us to access, acquire, maintain, augment, reason over, and interact with machine-understandable knowledge, and make use of scalable semantic applications to various environments. These are critical functions of the Open Semantic Framework.
