SEON: Networked Ontology Specification

Core Ontology on Measurement (external) (COM)

1. Ontology Description

2. Related Ontologies

Networked ontologies used by COM:

3. Ontology Models

3.1. Measurable Entities

Figure 1 presents the conceptual model of the 1 - Measurable Entities subontology.

Figure 1. 1 - Measurable Entities conceptual model.

3.2. Measure

Figure 2 presents the conceptual model of the 2 - Measure subontology.

Figure 2. 2 - Measure conceptual model.

3.3. Measurement Planning

Figure 3 presents the conceptual model of the 3-Measurement Planning subontology.

Figure 3. 3-Measurement Planning conceptual model.

3.4. Measurement

Figure 4 presents the conceptual model of the 4 - Measurement subontology.

Figure 4. 4 - Measurement conceptual model.

3.5. Measurement Analysis

Figure 5 presents the conceptual model of the 5 - Measurement Analysis subontology.

Figure 5. 5 - Measurement Analysis conceptual model.

4. Concepts Definition

The following table shows the definitions for COM concepts.

Concept	Definition
Analysis Result	Result produced by a Measurement Analysis. An Analysis Result characterizes a Measurable Entity and provides information related to a Measurement Goal. Ex.: the analysis of the measured values 26, 25.5 e 24, collected for the measure body mass index in kilos and meters to the measurable entity John could produce the analysis result: The patient’s body mass index decreased from an overweight to a normal weight value and the patient has now a good body mass index. This analysis result characterizes the measurable entity John and provides information to the measurement goal Check if the patient has a good body mass index.
Base Measure	Measure used to quantify a Directly Measurable Element. Ex.: the base measure height in meters can be used to quantify the directly measurable element height.
Basic Measurement Procedure	Measurement Procedure applicable to a Base Measure. Ex.: Measurement procedure to collect data for the measure weight in kilos: Use a weighting digital instrument to measure the person weight in kilos. Record the measured value and the measurement date.
Complex Goal	Goal that is composed by others. Ex.: the complex goal Monitor the patient health could be decomposed in Check if the patient has a good body mass index and Check if the patient has a good blood pressure.
Derivative Measurement Procedure	Measurement Procedure applicable to a Derived Measure. Ex.: Measurement procedure to collect data for the measure body mass index in kilos and meters: Obtain the values measured to the measures weight in kilos and and height in meters considering a same measurement date. Apply the measurement formula to calculate the body mass index in kilos and meters. Record the measured value and the measurement date.
Derived Measure	Measure used to quantify an Indirectly Measurable Element. Ex.: the measure body mass index in kilos and meters can be used to quantify the indirectly measurable element body mass index.
Directly Measurable Element	Measurable Element that does not depend on others to be measured. Ex.: weight and height.
Indicator	Measure directly used to indicate the achievement of Measurement Goals. Ex.: the measure body mass index in kilos and meters could play the role of indicator when indicating the achievement of the measurement goal Check if the patient has a good body mass index.
Indirectly Measurable Element	Measurable Element that depends on others (its sub-elements) to be measured. Ex.: body mass index is an indirectly measurable element measured from weight and height.
Information Need	Information Needs are identified from Measurement Goals and determine which information have to be met by Measures in order to monitor the achievement of the related Measurement Goal. Ex.: the information need What is the patient body mass index? could be identified from the measurement goal Check if the patient has a good body mass index.
Interval Scale	Scale in which it is possible to quantify the distance between its Scale Values and there is not a value to represent nonentity (absolute zero). In an Interval Scale, although it is possible to quantify the distance between Scale Values, it is not possible to establish other relations between them. Ex.: the measure temperature in Celsius degree has an interval scale, since it is possible to quantify the distance between its scale values (e.g., there are 10o between the temperatures 20oC and 30oC), 0oC does not mean the absence of temperature and it is not possible to establish relations between scale values (e.g., we cannot say that 50oC is twice hotter than 25oC).
Measurable Element	Measurable property that characterizes a Measurable Entity Type. Ex.: height is a measurable element that characterizes measurable entities of the Person type.
Measurable Entity	Anything that can be measured. Ex.: a person, a project, an organization.
Measurable Entity Type	Type of entities that can be measured. Ex.: John is a measurable entity of the type Person.
Measure	Function used to associate a value (Measured Value) to a Measurable Element of a Measurable Entity. Measures quantify Measurable Elements and characterize Measurable Entity Types. Ex.: the measure height in meters can be used to quantify the measurable element height of measurable entities of the type Person.
Measure Unit	Unit in which measures can be expressed. Ex.: meter, kilo, hour.
Measured Value	Value obtained in a Measurement. Ex.: the measured value 75 obtained in the measurement of the measurable element weight of the measurable entity John by applying the measure weight in kilos.
Measurement	Action that measures a Measurable Element of a Measurable Entity by applying a Measure and adopting a Measurement Procedure to obtain a Measured Value. A Measurement is performed based on a Measurement Planning Item. Ex.: the measurement of the measurable element weight of the measurable entity John by applying the measure weight in kilos, adopting a certain measurement procedure and resulting in the measured value 75.
Measurement Analysis	Action that analyzes Measure Values collected for Measures aiming to characterize a Measurable Entity and provide information related to a Measurement Goal. Ex.: a measurement analysis could analyze the measured values 26, 25.5 e 24, collected for the measure body mass index in kilos and meters to characterize the measurable entity John.
Measurement Formula	Formula that quantifies relations between Measures from which a Derived Measure is obtained. Ex.: the measure body mass index in kilos and meters (BMI) can be calculated from the measures weight in kilos (w) and height in meters (h) by applying the measurement formula BMI = w/(h*h).
Measurement Goal	Goal that can be used to drive the identification of the Measures needed to provide information in a certain context. Measurement Goals are established based on more general Goals. Ex.: in the context of a doctor’s office, a doctor could be the general goal of Taking a good care of the patients. From this general goal, could be established the measurement goal Monitor the patient health, which could be decomposed in others, such as Check if the patient has a good body mass index and Check if the patient has a good blood pressure.
Measurement Planning	Action that plans the measurement, i.e., determines the Measurement Goals to be monitored, the Information Needs to be considered, the Measures to be collected to meet the Information Needs and the Measurement Procedures to be applied.
Measurement Planning Item	Social Object produced during Measurement Planning. A Measurement Planning Item specifies a Measurement Goal to be monitored, an Information Need to be considered, a Measure to be used to meet the Information Need and a Measurement Procedure to be applied to collect data for the Measure. Several Measurement Planning Items can be produced during Measurement Planning. Ex.: the measurement planning item specifying the measurement goal Check if the patient has a good body mass index, the information need What is the patient body mass index?, the measure body mass index in kilos and meters to be collected by using the measurement procedure Obtain the values measured to the measures weight in grams and and height in centimeters considering a same measurement date; apply the measurement formula to calculate the body mass index in kilos and meters; record the measured value and the measurement date.
Measurement Procedure	Procedure applicable to a Measure and that describe the steps to be carried out to collect data for it. Ex.: Measurement procedure to collect data for the measure weight in kilos: Use a weighting digital instrument to measure the person weight in kilos. Record the measured value and the measurement date.
Ordinal Scale	Scale whose Scale Values can be mapped to a certain order or ranking. Ex.: the measure client satisfaction degree, which can be mapped to the values “high”, “medium” or “low”, has an Ordinal Scale.
Rational Scale	Scale in which it is possible to quantify the distance between its Scale Values, there is a value to represent nonentity (absolute zero) and it is possible to establish relations between Scale Values. Ex.: the measure distance in kilometers has a rational scale, since 0km means the absence of distance, it is possible to quantify the distance between scale values (e.g., there are 10km between the distances 20km and 30km) as well as establish other relations between them (e.g., we can say that 100km is twice longer than 50km).
Scale	Delimitates the space of values possible to be associated by a Measure to a Measurable Element. Ex.: the scale of the measure height in meters is a liner structure isomorphic to the positive half-line of the real numbers.
Scale Value	Value that compose a Scale. Ex.: 0.5, 1, 1.8 are examples of values that compose the scale of the measure height in meters.
Simple Goal	Goal that is not composed by others. Ex.: Monitor the patient’s blood pressure.

Detailed Concepts