Using Metamodels to Improve Product Models and Facilitate Inferencing

Increasing information requirements are causing domain models to become more complex and difficult to manage. Domain-specific languages are developed with consideration for domain experts, and therefore are meant to be domain-friendly. However, their effectiveness in domain-specific models, when developed for knowledge management applications, is often limited by their expressiveness and implementation. In this paper we discuss current domain modeling practices, specifically the use of OWL (Web Ontology Language) and SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language) within the context of product development, and how they often do not consider their intended application. To address this, we (1) recommend a set of best practices to account for domain context while promoting application-specific domain modeling, (2) propose that a metamodel be used to incorporate these practices early on in domain modeling and review how similar information has been represented in the past, and (3) discuss what factors should be considered in the development of such a metamodel in the future.