Abstract
Global markets for information-intensive products contain sharp information asymmetries that lead to market inefficiencies resulting from consumer purchasing decisions that are based on incomplete information. Elimination or reduction of such information asymmetries has long been the goal of governments as well as various nongovernmental entities that recognize that addressing issues such as sustainable production, socially just labor practices, and reduction in energy needs and health expenditure is closely linked to consumers being fully aware of the economic, environmental, and social impacts of their purchasing decisions. This chapter reports on the creation of ontology-enabled interoperable data infrastructure based on semantic technologies that would enable information sharing in traditionally information-restricted markets. The main technical result is a proof-of-concept set of data standards built on semantic technology applications and the functionalities of formal ontology of certification and inspection processes. The current proof of concept focuses specifically on certified fair-trade coffee, and while its applicability is currently limited, it has the potential to become universally applicable to any certification and inspection process for any product and service. In addition to producing a number of artifacts relevant to the expandability of the work, such as domain ontologies, the research indicates that while big data systems are necessary, they are not sufficient to create high levels of consumer trust. By testing the criteria using both hand-generated and automated queries, we are able to demonstrate that CIDIBB (Certification and Inspection Data Infrastructure Building Block) is not only able to test the trustworthiness of certification schemes but also that our ontology generates consistent results.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The name “Data Infrastructure Building Block” derives from the National Science Foundation Data Infrastructure Building Block program which aims to “foster cross-community infrastructure development that solves common problems, while building blocks of data infrastructure that can support and provide data solutions to a broader range of scientific disciplines while reducing duplicative efforts.” (http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504776)
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
GoodGuide is an actual product rating service that provides consumers with information about the health, environmental, and social performance of products and companies. http://www.goodguide.com
- 6.
Walmart has been working with suppliers on various sustainability initiatives. In 2009 they introduced a sustainable measurement system that tracks the environmental impact of products. See especially: http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/ or http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/
References
Albersmeier, F., Schulze, H., Jahn, G., & Spiller, A. (2009). The reliability of third-party certification in the food chain: From checklists to risk-oriented auditing. Food Control, 20(10), 927–935.
Arora, R. (2006). Product positioning based on search, experience and credence attributes using conjoint analysis. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 15(4/5), 285–292. http://doi.org/10.1108/10610420610685695.
Berners-Lee, T. (2006, July 27). Linked data. Retrieved from Berners-Lee, T. (2006). Linked data. Retrieved from http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html
Berners-Lee, T., Hendler, J., & Lassila, O. (2001). The semantic web. Scientific American, 284(5), 34.
Bizer, C., Heath, T., & Berners-Lee, T. (2009). Linked Data – The Story So Far: International Journal on Semantic Web and Information Systems, 5(3), 1–22. http://doi.org/10.4018/jswis.2009081901.
Bray, J., Johns, N., & Kilburn, D. (2011). An Exploratory Study into the Factors Impeding Ethical Consumption. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(4), 597–608. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0640-9.
Deaton, B. J. (2004). A theoretical framework for examining the role of third-party certifiers. Food Control, 15(8), 615–619. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2003.09.007.
Dimitri, C., & Greene, C. (2002). Recent growth patterns in the U.S. organic food markets. Economic Research Service (No. #AIB-777). Washington, DC 20036: US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/255720/aib777fm_1_.pdf
Emerson, K., Nabatchi, T., & Balogh, S. (2012). An integrative framework for collaborative governance. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 22(1), 1–29. http://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mur011.
Gefen, D., Pavlou, P. A., Benbastat, I., McKnight, H., Stewart, K., & Straub, D. W. (2006). ICIS panel summary should institutional trust matter in information systems research? Communications of the AIS, 17, 205–222.
Goleman, D. (2009). Ecological intelligence: How knowing the hidden impacts of what we buy can change everything (1st ed.). New York: Broadway Books.
Graham, M., & Haarstad, H. (2011). Transparency and development: Ethical consumption through web 2.0 and the internet of things. Nformation Technologies & International Development, 7(1), 1–18.
Gruber, T. R. (1993). A translation approach to portable ontology specifications. Knowledge Acquisition, 5(2), 199–220. http://doi.org/10.1006/knac.1993.1008.
Jahn, G., Schramm, M., & Spiller, A. (2005). The reliability of certification: Quality labels as a consumer policy tool. Journal of Consumer Policy, 28(1), 53–73.
Jarman, H., et al. (2011). I-choose: Consumer choice, digital government, and sustainability in North America. Presented at the APPAM Fall Research Conference. Washington, DC.
Kim, G.-S., Lee, G. Y., & Park, K. (2010). A cross-national investigation on how ethical consumers build loyalty toward fair trade brands. Journal of Business Ethics, 96(4), 589–611. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0486-1.
Luna-Reyes, L. F., Zhang, J., Roy, R., Andersen, D. F., Whitmore, A., & Andersen, D. L. (2013). Information strategies to support full information product pricing: The role of trust. Information Polity: The International Journal of Government & Democracy in the Information Age, 18(1), 75–91.
Makower, J. (2010, November 1). Is TerraChoice Greenwashing? Retrieved from http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/11/01/terrachoice-greenwashing
Powell, W. (1996). Trust-based forms of governance. In T. Tyler & R. M. Kramer (Eds.), Trust in organizations: Frontiers of theory and research (pp. 51–67). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Rousseau, D. M., Sitkin, S. B., Burt, R. S., & Camerer, C. (1998). Not so different after all: A cross-discipline view of trust. Academy of Management Review, 23(3), 393–404. http://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1998.926617.
Sayogo, D. S., et al. (Forthcoming). Ontological modeling of certification and inspection process to support smart disclosure of product information. International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age.
Shapiro, D. L., Sheppard, B. H., & Cheraskin, L. (1992). Business on a handshake. Negotiation Journal, 8(4), 365–377.
Tanner, B. (2000). Independent assessment by third-party certification bodies. Food Control, 11(5), 415–417. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0956-7135(99)00055-9.
TerraChoice. (2010). Greenwashing Report 2010. Retrieved from http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwashing-report-2010/index.html
Uschold, M., & Gruninger, M. (1996). Ontologies: Principles, methods and applications. Knowledge Engineering Review, 11(2), 93–136.
Watts, S., & Wyner, G. (2011). Designing and theorizing the adoption of mobile technology‐mediated ethical consumption tools. Information Technology & People, 24(3), 257–280. http://doi.org/10.1108/09593841111158374.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Luciano, J.S. et al. (2016). Using Ontologies to Develop and Test a Certification and Inspection Data Infrastructure Building Block. In: Jarman, H., Luna-Reyes, L. (eds) Private Data and Public Value. Public Administration and Information Technology, vol 26. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27823-0_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27823-0_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-27821-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-27823-0
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)