Applying Ontology to the Web: A Case Study

This paper describes the use of Simle HTML Ontology Extensions (SHOE) in a real world internet application. SHOE allows authors to add semantic content to web pages and to relate this content to common ontologies that provide contextual information about the domain. Using this information, query systems can provide more accurate responses than are possible with the search engines available on the Web. We have applied these techniques to the domain of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), a class of diseases that include “Mad Cow Disease”. We discuss our experiences and provides lessons learned from the process.