The Impact of Ontologies and the Semantic Web on Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Publishing

Ontologies are formal representations of knowledge that define the structure and meaning of
information. By describing the content of ETDs with ontologies, it is possible to make them more
interoperable, discoverable, and searchable. This paper seeks to investigate the influence of
ontologies and the Semantic Web on ETD publishing and performance. This paper reviews the
literature on ontologies and the Semantic Web and discusses how these technologies can be
utilised to enhance the quality of ETD services. In addition, the paper provides case studies
demonstrating how ontologies and the Semantic Web are utilised in ETDs. In each case, a
comparison of features such as Ontology-based metadata, Semantic search engine, Semantic
annotation tool, and Semantic portal was performed and presented in a tabular format, with a
distinct section devoted to a discussion of these features. The paper demonstrates that ontologies
and the Semantic Web can be used to enhance the interoperability, discoverability, and
searchability of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs). It also indicates that ontologies
and the Semantic Web can support more sophisticated search and retrieval functionality in
ETDs.