Ontology-Based Knowledge Management Tools for Knowledge Sharing in Organization—A Review

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) comprises several processes, and one of the most important is the knowledge sharing activities. The ability of an organization to manage its organizational knowledge, specifically in the context of knowledge sharing, may enhance the organization’s overall performance. Various approaches and technologies have been introduced to assist the process in achieving that target. Ontology as one of the knowledge representation methods has been becoming popular to assist knowledge sharing in the organization. Previous reviews have mainly focused on general KM issues, with little emphasis on the use of ontology in knowledge sharing. Thus, this article reviews several ontology-based KM tools that can support knowledge-sharing activities to provide some insight into future research in this area. Thirteen ontology-based KM tools were reviewed using ten elements’ comparison criteria: the motivation, domain, source of knowledge, type of knowledge, knowledge extraction, knowledge input process, knowledge retrieval process, knowledge sharing technology, source of ontology component, and ontology methodology. The review found that several elements can be further studied to improve KM implementation in the organization, especially on the knowledge sharing dimension. This includes simplifying the knowledge extraction and retrieval process to explore various knowledge domains from implicit knowledge sources. The review’s outcome also includes proposed components and functions of an ideal ontology-based KM tool.