We are happy to announce the next release of DL-Learner, a tool for learning OWL class expressions from examples and background knowledge. It extends Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) to Description Logics and the Semantic Web. The tool has matured over the past 3 years and is meanwhile used in a number of applications. Some features of this release are:

• support for OWL API 3 and OWL 2
ORE (ontology repair and enrichment) tool based on DL-Learner algorithms (soon to be migrated to an own project)
• several new heuristics, e.g. generalised F-Measure, and efficient stochastic heuristic approximation methods
• learning algorithms for the EL description logic
• support for hasValue construct in combination with string datatype
• support for refining existing definitions (instead of learning from scratch) for CELOE ontology engineering algorithm
• support for direct Pellet 2 integration and reasoners connected via OWLlink
• more unit tests, bug fixes and features

DL-Learner can be used to:

• solve general supervised Machine Learning problems using ontologies as background knowledge (given as OWL files, SPARQL endpoints, etc.), e.g. it was used to predict whether chemicals can cause cancer
• help knowledge engineers by learning definitions and subclass axioms (see the Protege plugin and OntoWiki plugin)
• generating user recommendations when browsing knowledge bases

I’d like to thank all contributors, in particular active developers and everyone who sent us valuable feedback.

The tool can be be downloaded here.

Tomorrow the final seminar of the BMBF-sponsored project SoftWiki - Distributed, End-user Centered Requirements Engineering for Evolutionary Software Development will take place within the framework of the Mensch und Computer 2009.

Workshop: Nutzerinteraktion im Social Semantic Web
September 8, 2009: 11:00 am - 4:30 pm
Main Building at the Humboldt University of Berlin
Unter den Linden 6
Berlin

Apart from many publications on details about Requirements Engineering und Semantic Web technologies, the most important results of the SoftWiki project are

• a prototype on the basis of OntoWiki as well as several supporting tools,
• and an OWL-Ontology for the description of requirements.

The results of the project are comprehensively outlined in the book

Agiles Requirements Engineering
für Softwareprojekte mit einer großen Anzahl verteilter Stakeholder
Sören Auer, Kim Lauenroth, Steffen Lohmann, Thomas Riechert (Hrsg.)
Leipziger Beiträge zur Informatik | Band XVIII
ISBN: 978-3-941608-05-4

which will be issued at the final seminar in Berlin.

The SoftWiki-Competence-Network continues with this work, aiming to provide the technologies for future applications. It is notable for its interesting group of members. Together with the Universities of Duisburg-Essen and Leipzig we comprise an extraordinary scientific know-how. RE-tool developers (QA-System, ProDV) und users mainly in the field of Web-Engineering and E-Government (T-Systems MMS, Lecos GmbH) participate as partners for further development in the future und will facilitate the business deployment.

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Im Rahmen der Mensch und Computer 2009 findet morgen die Abschlussveranstaltung des BMBF-geförderten Projektes SoftWiki - Distributed, End-user Centered Requirements Engineering for Evolutionary Software Development statt.
Workshop: Nutzerinteraktion im Social Semantic Web
08.09.2009: 11:00 Uhr - 16:30 Uhr
Hauptgebäude der Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
Unter den Linden 6
Berlin

Die wichtigsten Ergebnisse des SoftWiki - Projektes sind, neben vielen Publikationen über Details des Requirements Engineerings und Semantic Web Technologien,

• ein Prototyp auf Basis von OntoWiki, sowie mehreren unterstützender Werkzeuge,
• und eine OWL-Ontologie für die Beschreibung von Anforderungen.

Die Ergebnisse des Projektes werden ausführlich im Buch

Agiles Requirements Engineering
für Softwareprojekte mit einer großen Anzahl verteilter Stakeholder
Sören Auer, Kim Lauenroth, Steffen Lohmann, Thomas Riechert (Hrsg.)
Leipziger Beiträge zur Informatik | Band XVIII
ISBN: 978-3-941608-05-4

vorgestellt, welches zur Abschlussveranstaltung in Berlin veröffentlicht wird.

Das SoftWiki-Kompetenznetzwerk führt diese Arbeiten mit dem Ziel fort, die Technologien für zukünftige Anwender zur Verfügung zu stellen. Es zeichnet sich durch eine interessante Kombination seiner Mitglieder aus. Mit den Universitäten Duisburg-Essen und Leipzig verfügen wir ausgezeichnetes wissenschaftliches Know-how. RE-Werkzeughersteller (QA-System, ProDV) und Anwender vor allem im Bereich Web-Engineering und E-Government (T-Systems MMS, Lecos GmbH) stehen als Entwicklungspartner für zukünftige Weiterentwicklung und den industriellen Einsatz zur Verfügung.

Today, we released DL-Learner Build 2009-05-06. DL-Learner is a tool for learning OWL class expressions from examples and background knowledge. It extends Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) to Description Logics and the Semantic Web. Some notable features in this release are:

• a new learning algorithm (CELOE) designed specifically for extending OWL ontologies
• a Protege plugin using CELOE
• a manual for getting started using DL-Learner
• performance improvements through stochastic methods
• more learning examples, unit tests, code quality improvements

DL-Learner can be used to:

• solve general supervised Machine Learning problems using ontologies as background knowledge (given as OWL files, SPARQL endpoints, etc.), e.g. it was used to predict whether chemicals can cause cancer
• help knowledge engineers by learning definitions and subclass axioms (see the Protege plugin and another one for OntoWiki is in progress)
• generating user recommendations when browsing knowledge bases

I’d like to thank all contributors, in particular active developers and everyone who sent us valuable feedback.

This ParticipatoryResearch initiative launched by AKSW aims at developing and promoting the concept of stakeholder-driven research. Goals are to (1) develop a prediction market model for research funding, (2) implement a Web platform for organising this market and the participatory research process, (3) persuade research funding agencies to use this platform for managing a part of their research portfolio.

A first step towards this goal was made with Cofundos.org – a market for open-source software R&D. The Web site of the ParticipatoryResearch initiative is hosted at: http://wiki.Cofundos.org.

The AKSW workgroup co-hosts the conference on Social Semantic Web, September 26-28th in Leipzig, Germany. The well known entrepreneur and innovator Kingsley Idehen will give an invited talk on “Hello Data Web - Exposing the Data Web”. Submission deadline for CSSW is June 1st, so still much time to prepare a submission. All details are to be found at http://aksw.org