Papers direct the focus of interest to the development and use of conceptual models in information systems of various kinds and aim at improving awareness about general or specific problems and solutions in conceptual modelling.

This is the fifth volume in a sub-series based on the joint effort of Nordic and Japanese scientists in the field of information modelling and knowledge bases.

In the last decades, information modelling and knowledge bases have become hot topics not only in academic communities related to information systems and computer science, but also in business areas where information technology is applied. This book aims to exchange scientific results and experiences achieved in computer science and other related disciplines using innovative methods and progressive approaches. A platform has been established drawing together researchers as well as practitioners dealing with information modelling and knowledge bases. The main topics of this publication target the variety of themes in the domain of information modelling, conceptual analysis, design and specification of information systems, ontologies, software engineering, knowledge and process management, data and knowledge bases. The editors also aim at applying new progressive theories.

Modelling of information is necessary in developing information systems. Information is acquired from many sources, by using various methods and tools. It must be recognized, conceptualized, and conceptually organized efficiently so that users can easily understand and use it. Modelling is needed to understand, explain, organize, predict, and reason on information. It also helps to master the role and functions of components of information systems. Modelling can be performed with many different purposes in mind, at different levels, and by using different notions and different background theories. It can be made by emphasizing users' conceptual understanding of information on a domain level, on an algorithmic level, or on representation levels. On each level, the objects and structures used on them are different, and different rules govern the behavior on them. Therefore the notions, rules, theories, languages, and methods for modelling on different levels are also different. It will be useful if we can develop theories and methodologies for modelling, to be used in different situations, because databases, knowledge bases, and repositories in knowledge management systems, developed on the basis of models and used to technically store information, are growing day by day. In this publication, the interest is focused on modelling of information, and one of the central topics is modelling of time. Scientific and technical papers of high quality are brought together in this book.

Information modelling is the essential part of information systems design. Design methods, specification languages, and tools tend to become application dependent, aiming at integration of methodologies stretching from traditional database design to knowledge bases, and including use of logical languages, and process oriented reactive systems description. The topics of the articles cover a wide variety of problems in the area of information modelling, information systems specification, and knowledge bases, ranging from foundations and theories to systems construction and application studies. The contributions are grouped into the following major categories: - Systems specification and information modelling schemes - User interfaces and multimedia - Knowledge organization database structuring - Formal systems - Knowledge and information - From conceptual modelling to software engineering - Description and organization of concepts and objects - Learning systems and applications This book is the eighth volume in the sub-series 'Information Modelling and Knowledge Bases'. This dates back to 1990 with annual publications now amounting to more than 200 reviewed articles. The current volume is intended for researchers, students and practitioners in the area of information systems.

This sixth IMKB volume attempts to synthesize research done over a longer period of time in a reference book format. The work presents in survey articles the efforts to study foundations and applications of conceptual modelling in various environments. The motivation of these efforts is the fact that conceptual modelling and knowledge representation together with various kinds of inference systems are important subfields in the design and use of information systems. The modelling problem is essential in many disciplines, such as database design, knowledge engineering, logic, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, philosophy, linguistics, etc. A central and comprehensive bibliography is included.

This is the tenth volume in a series on information modelling and knowledge bases. The topics of the articles cover a wide variety of themes in the domain of information modelling, design and specification of information systems and knowledge bases, ranging from foundations and theories to systems construction and application studies. The contributions in this volume represent the following major themes: models in intelligent activity; concept modelling and conceptual modelling; conceptual modelling and information requirements specification; collections of concepts, knowledge base design, and database design; human-computer interaction and modelling; software engineering and modelling; and applications.

Information modelling is the essential part of information system design. Design methods, specification languages, and tools tend to become application dependent, aiming at integration of methodologies stretching traditional database design to advanced knowledge bases, and including use of logical languages, and process oriented system description. The topics of the articles in this book cover a wide variety of themes in the domain of information modelling, specifications of information systems and knowledge bases, ranging from foundations and theories to systems construction and application studies. The contributions represent the following major themes: the use of ontologies in knowledge modelling concept modelling and conceptual modelling database modelling: applications of object-oriented modelling view integration and consistency checking modelling multimedia and multimedia models design methods process modelling formal systems.

This work includes the papers presented in the 12th European-Japanese Conference on Information Modelling and Knowledge Bases. Topics of research in this conference included the theory and practice of information modelling, conceptual modelling, and design and specification of information systems.

In the last decades information modelling and knowledge bases have become hot topics not only in academic communities related to information systems and computer science, but also in business areas where information technology is applied. This book includes papers submitted to the 17th European-Japanese Conference on Information Modelling and Knowledge Bases (EJC 2007). The EJC conferences constitute a world-wide research forum for the exchange of scientific results and experiences achieved in computer science and other related disciplines using innovative methods and progressive approaches. In this way a platform has been established drawing together researches as well as practitioners dealing with information modelling and knowledge bases. Thus the main topics of the EJC conferences target the variety of themes in the domain of information modelling, conceptual analysis, design and specification of information systems, ontologies, software engineering, knowledge and process management, data and knowledge bases. The organizers also aim at applying new progressive theories. To this end, much attention is being paid also to theoretical disciplines including cognitive science, artificial intelligence, logic, linguistics and analytical philosophy. The selected papers cover many areas of information modelling, namely theory of concepts, database semantics, knowledge representation, software engineering, WWW information management, context-based information retrieval, ontological technology, image databases, temporal and spatial databases, document data management, process management, and many others.