Towards a Topic Map Based Knowledge Management System for the Legal Domain

Beside semantic networks, especially for knowledge representation and knowledge interchange over the Word Wide Web the international Topic Map ISO standard has been developed. It defines a syntax that allows the creation of a strongly typed, linked model of an area of knowledge. This paper describes how topic maps can be used to represent superimposed information as well as domain ontologies - two established approaches to knowledge management systems. Superimposed information enriches explicit knowledge resources for purposes like retrieval or connection without modifying this base information. Domain ontologies are frequently used to capture and formalize implicit domain-specific knowledge. Since the underlying abstract model of topic maps provides a high degree of power and flexibility, topic maps can be used to combine both approaches. It is discussed how these advantages can be used for the conception and ongoing implementation of a knowledge management system in the legal domain. Although topic maps are being embraced by a wide number of organizations and companies there is still a lack of software that supports the topic map standard. In this paper the data model of a meta data structure is introduced, which allows to make topic maps persistent within a relational database. To make integrity checks within topic maps possible, several constraint mechanisms are established. The presented concept is realized in the form of a three layer architecture.