Situations, identity, and the Semantic Web

We present a prototype of a computational framework for identity based on situation theory as developed by Barwise et al. Taking our cue from Kokar's Situation Theory Ontology (STO), we use Semantic Web standards to capture the information present in a constellation of situations that relate to identity attributions. We do so in a way that supports cross-situation queries and reasoning. Our ontology, however, differs substantially from STO. Central to our account are id-situations, where an id-action (pronouncing on the identity of an agent) is performed. Our account focuses on evidence, provenance of information, and appropriate actions that back evidence, so we also address situations that support id-situations by providing artifacts, collecting evidence, and generally enabling and informing id-actions. We note that Semantic Web resources are ideal for representing situations since the Semantic Web is open and situations are partial information structures. Situations in our application area, while not dynamic like those typically of interest in studies of situation awareness, like them, rely on trust in automation and in our collaborators. In presenting a computational approach to identity, this paper shows how situations can be used to model the support we have for judgments and how Semantic Web standards can be used to represent and reason about constellations of situations.