# A semantic approach to mapping the Provenance Ontology to Basic Formal Ontology

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.03866 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.03866/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 4 of its 47 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 2 Aug 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [SOSA: A Lightweight Ontology for Sensors, Observations, Samples, and Actuators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1805.09979/) (2018)
- [A Simple Standard for Sharing Ontological Mappings (SSSOM)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.07051/) (2021)
- [An Open-Source Knowledge Graph Ecosystem for the Life Sciences](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.05727/) (2023)
- [The Common Core Ontologies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.17758/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Towards knowledge-based workflows: a semantic approach to atomistic simulations for mechanical and thermodynamic properties](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.01358/) (2026)
- [Ontology-based knowledge graph infrastructure for interoperable atomistic simulation data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.06230/) (2026)
- [A Fourfold Pathogen Reference Ontology Suite](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.01454/) (2024)
- [Ontology Enabled Hybrid Modeling and Simulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.12290/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The Provenance Ontology (PROV-O) is a World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommended ontology used to structure data about provenance across a wide variety of domains. Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) is a top-level ontology ISO/IEC standard used to structure a wide variety of ontologies, such as the OBO Foundry ontologies and the Common Core Ontologies (CCO). To enhance interoperability between these two ontologies, their extensions, and data organized by them, a mapping methodology and set of alignments are presented according to specific criteria which prioritize semantic and logical principles. The ontology alignments are evaluated by checking their logical consistency with canonical examples of PROV-O instances and querying terms that do not satisfy the alignment criteria as formalized in SPARQL. A variety of semantic web technologies are used in support of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.