Mapping pragmatic class models to reference ontologies

Capturing a domain of discourse in an object-oriented class model and in a reference ontology leads to different results. On the one hand, modeling decisions for class models are motivated by pragmatic and efficiency-related choices because modeling decisions are motivated by different choices. However, information integration scenarios require a coexistence between reference ontologies and class models at runtime. When implementing an integration scenario, objects need to be transformed between both types of models, thus requiring expressive, executable, and bidirectional mappings. In this paper, we present a novel approach for a bidirectional mapping between a class model and an ontology. The approach is both non-intrusive and dynamic. That means it can be integrated in existing IT systems without having to change the class model and it does not rely on static 1:1 mappings, respectively.