Repositories with Direct Representation

Abstract: A new generation of digital repositories could be based on direct representation of the contents with rich semantics and models rather than be collections of documents. The contents of such repositories would be highly structured which should help users to focus on meaningful relationships of the contents. These repositories would implement earlier proposals for model-oriented information organization by extending current work on ontologies to cover state changes, instances, and scenarios. They could also apply other approaches such as object-oriented design and frame semantics. In addition to semantics, the representation needs to allow for discourse and repository knowledge-support services and policies. For instance, the knowledge base would need to be systematically updated as new findings and theories reshape it.