This document discusses how knowledge organization and conceptual modeling can inform each other. It argues that conceptual modeling involves pre-structuring knowledge about a reality domain to facilitate recording and finding one's own knowledge, while knowledge organization involves post-structuring knowledge from other sources to enable searching and finding knowledge. Both start with conceptualizing relevant concepts and relationships. They can share structures like conceptual models, thesauri, and ontologies. The document uses the domain of cultural-historical landscapes and heritage as an example, discussing how their concepts have been modeled and organized in systems in both inclusive and selective ways. It concludes that both three P's (pragmatic, perception, process knowledge) and three S's (sciences-based, systematic thinking,

1. Knowledge and its organization
as a matter of multiple facets, forms and functions
How Knowledge organization and Conceptual Modeling
can help each other,
e.g. on cultural-historical landscapes & heritage
Conceptual modeling  Knowledge organization
Reality domains
3 P’s  Pre-structuring knowledge 3 S’s  Post-structuring knowledge
Modeling a ‘reality domain’ in advance, for Structuring knowledge ‘documents’ from others, for
recording & finding ‘own’ knowledge’ ‘search & find’ upon knowledge questions
=> Starts from ‘conceptualizing’ of everything relevant => starts from ‘conceptualizing’
-of ‘complete’ & integrated reality domain, with -of concepts, relationships, ‘facets’ (e.g. entity,
all relevant concepts, relationships, aspects part, attribute, operation, place, time, …………)
-based on all relevant knowledge & types (know-that, -leading to KO Systems (KOSs)
-how, -why, -when, -where, -who, e.g. process knowledge ) -Epistemology, Ontology as fundaments (incl.
-for & from all relevant contexts (purposes, views,.) science disciplines => disciplinary domains!)
- for Information Systems (ISs) and more -by & for ‘specialists’ (but broadening)
-by ‘all who know’, for all involved (people, computers) -for ‘specialists’, e.g. scholars (but broadening)
3 P’s: 3 S’s:
-’Praxis’/pragmatic: what is needed in practice -Sciences-based (originally) => ‘disciplinary’
-Perception: the combined views and ‘relevancies’ -Scientific approach: metaphysics, philosophy
-Process knowledge included -Systematic thinking
‘Knowledge’ forms
“Where the twain shall meet”
In thinking & approach Forms & levels, Functions,
Shared structures e.g.
From KO to CM: applying -Conceptualization:
-Forms  (meta-)meta level(s)?
-Systematic conceptualization (‘Facets’) maps, graphs -(G)IS: through conceptual model,
-Scientific basis: Epistemology, Ontology -Thesauri, etc., as in Library ISs not directly data as such
-Gazetteers, for place names -text doc’s: inherent context
From CM to KO: thinking from -Categories, etc. as in IS-db’s -images: added meta level (tags)
-Ontologies, Topic Maps
-(broad) Domains -maps: im- & explicit context
-Inter-/transdisciplinary as starting point
(relationships, uses & users, impacts) -Functions  partly same/different
The domain of cultural-historical landscapes & heritage
The domain and its concepts Conclusions on issues like ….
-landscape => area, perceived by people * ’Inclusiveness’  recognition
-cultural … => because of human (inter)actions
-… historical …=> through history, until now
-Facets: broader & systematical
-……..heritage => what is seen as valuable -Forms: related in content, so ……..
-for many purposes, scale levels, … => views! -Functions: ‘for all’, not ‘for us/ours’
In modeling & systems in practice: •Standardization  variation:
-views from experts/makers -not just needs from interoperability,
-selective  purpose!
-heritage, culture, history?
also conceptual & use views
-view-related concepts, categories, etc.
-GIS-based (‘Geographic IS’ as technology) *Thinking & approach on Landscapes
-spatial modeling, hardly conceptual -more Domain & Conceptual
-’what can be located’ => ‘exact’ knowledge -both 3 P’s and 3 S’s!
Landscape history in categorizations
-map legends, interoperability
J. Sophie Visser, M.Sc., M.A.
Consultant LandZij / PhD Student Utrecht University
LandZij j.s.visser[at]planet.nl