Title: APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

Approach and methodology

The objective of this chapter is to describe the models and methodologies employed in WP2.1 to specify in FIDIS the conceptualisation of the Identity domain. 

The first part of this chapter, which presents the global perspective, indicates how to approach the definition of concepts for a given domain. This part mainly relates to Ontology, i.e. the discipline aiming at the study of explicit specification of conceptualisations. It also indicates approaches and methods can be used to build these conceptualisations, as well as some tools (such as Wikis or the semantic technology tools) that can be employed for this purpose. It finally addresses the organisational and cognitive issues related to this process of construction (such as the motivational factors of the individuals and of the groups to participate in this construction). 

The second part of this chapter presents how the principles of conceptualisation (or Ontology) can be applied in the context of FIDIS to construct a conceptualization of the Identity domain. More specifically, it indicates for FIDIS the model of the conceptualisation of the Identity domain, presents the methodology and the processes that have been adopted, and describe how the WIKI infrastructure can be used to construct collectively this conceptualisation in the FIDIS community. It also indicates how FIDIS addresses the organisational and cognitive dimensions.