SIST ISO 24623-2:2022 PDF

Overview

ISO 24623-2:2021 - "Language resource management - Corpus query lingua franca (CQLF) - Part 2: Ontology" defines the structural framework for a machine-readable CQLF ontology used to describe the expressive power of corpus query languages (CQLs) in terms of end‑user search needs. The standard specifies an ontology architecture (expressed in OWL DL) made of three interrelated taxonomies: the CQLF metamodel (a formalization of ISO 24623‑1), an expressive power taxonomy (functionalities, frames, use cases), and a taxonomy of CQLs. It also defines how CQL implementations make positive and negative conformance statements against the ontology.

Key topics and requirements

• Ontology structure (OWL DL):
  • Formalization using OWL 2 structural constructs (see Clause 5.1).
• Three taxonomies:
  • CQLF metamodel taxonomy - formalizes ISO 24623‑1 categories (levels/modules).
  • Expressive power taxonomy - multi‑layer taxonomy with a topmost layer of functionalities, and layered relationships (frames, use cases).
  • CQL taxonomy - classification of actual corpus query languages.
• Top layer defined: The document normatively specifies the functionalities (topmost layer) and the structure of the expressive power taxonomy.
• Layer relationships: Relationships between layers are captured as subsumption assertions to express specialization and inheritance.
• Conformance formalization: Links between the CQL taxonomy and expressive power taxonomy are expressed as positive and negative conformance statements (Clauses 6.1–6.2).
• Extensible, community-driven content: The standard deliberately excludes exhaustive listings of frames and use cases; these are intended to be populated and evolved by the community to reflect changing search needs.

Practical applications and users

• CQL developers - document and publish the expressive scope of a CQL through formal conformance statements.
• Tool and platform builders - implement interoperable registries or comparison platforms where CQLs are matched to search needs (e.g., selecting the right CQL for a corpus query).
• Researchers and corpus linguists - compare and select CQLs based on fine‑grained expressive power descriptors (functionalities, frames, use cases).
• Digital humanities / language technology teams - plan tooling and APIs knowing which CQL capabilities are required to satisfy specific search needs.

Related standards

• ISO 24623‑1 (CQLF metamodel)
• ISO 24612 (Linguistic Annotation Framework)
• ISO/IEC 10646 (UCS)
• W3C OWL 2 (OWL DL specification)

ISO 24623‑2 provides a normative skeleton for interoperable, extensible descriptions of corpus query capabilities, enabling precise CQL comparison, discoverability, and community‑driven growth of use cases and query examples. Keywords: ISO 24623-2, CQLF ontology, corpus query languages, expressive power taxonomy, OWL DL, conformance statements.