Universal Semantic Backbone

There is more and more of a call for some sort of universal semantic backbone.  See the articles under the "Additional Information" section.

So, what exactly is a "universal semantic backbone"?  A universal semantic backbone is a framework for effective digital interoperability.  It serves as a basis for interoperability, semantic consistency, and trusted collaboration.  It forces semantic rigor. A universal semantic backbone is an important pillar of the successful transformation to digital. It helps alignment of semantics within and across industries. It provides things like consistent business terminology and business rules within and across areas of knowledge and systems of interest.  It helps manage intersubjectivity in order to achieve mutual cognitive understanding.  It is a foundation upon which other things are built. It is infrastructure that makes things work effectively and predictably. It is the conscious use of proven best practices. It enhances/enables agility and resilience. It is a dynamic layer of business logic which artificial intelligence can leverage. It is scaffolding. It is an aspiration.

Just as the "semantic web layer cake" helps alignment of technical oriented building blocks, so does a "universal semantic backbone" for the semantic oriented building blocks.  It involves consciously and deliberately coordinating "levels" of semantics.  For example, the Industrial Ontologies Foundry (IOF) is a suite of interoperable ontologies, based on the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), that serves as a foundation for data and information interoperability in all areas of manufacturing.

Imagine a similar framework for cross-border paperless trade. Financial Industry Business Ontology (FIBO) seems to fill part of that need for the business of finance and financial services.

Semantic Arts open source upper level ontology GIST uses an interesting metaphor; it is laid out similar to the periodic table of elements.


Things like XBRL International's Open Information Model (OIM), OMG's Standard Business Report Model (SBRM), and my Seattle Method will help build out the universal semantic backbone, infrastructure, of modern accountancy.

Publicly available semantic backbones can be augmented, enhanced, and enriched to provide the maximum experience to business users. Here is how I augmented/enhanced/enriched the IFRS for SMEs XBRL taxonomy.

Additional Information:

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