# MODL: A Modular Ontology Design Library

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.05405 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.05405/

## Key facts

- Cited by 11 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 10 Apr 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 11 of 11)

- [Accelerating Knowledge Graph and Ontology Engineering with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.09601/) (2024)
- [Ontology Population using LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.01612/) (2024)
- [Ontology Design Facilitating Wikibase Integration -- and a Worked Example for Historical Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.14032/) (2022)
- [Commonsense Ontology Micropatterns](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.18715/) (2024)
- [The KnowWhereGraph Ontology](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.13948/) (2024)
- [An Ontology for Representing Curriculum and Learning Material](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.05751/) (2025)
- [An Ontology Design Pattern for Role-Dependent Names](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.02077/) (2023)
- [Towards Automated Ontology Generation from Unstructured Text: A Multi-Agent LLM Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.23090/) (2026)
- [A Modular Ontology for MODS -- Metadata Object Description Schema](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.00116/) (2023)
- [OntoPret: An Ontology for the Interpretation of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.23553/) (2025)
- [A Pythonic Functional Approach for Semantic Data Harmonisation in the ILIAD Project](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.13042/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Pattern-based, modular ontologies have several beneficial properties that lend themselves to FAIR data practices, especially as it pertains to Interoperability and Reusability. However, developing such ontologies has a high upfront cost, e.g. reusing a pattern is predicated upon being aware of its existence in the first place. Thus, to help overcome these barriers, we have developed MODL: a modular ontology design library. MODL is a curated collection of well-documented ontology design patterns, drawn from a wide variety of interdisciplinary use-cases. In this paper we present MODL as a resource, discuss its use, and provide some examples of its contents.