Title:	A novel UX-based approach for ontology evaluation: applying tree testing to the agricultural product types ontology.
Authors:	SOARES, F. M. SARAIVA, A. M. PIRES, L. F. DRUCKER, D. P. BRAGHETTO, K. R. SANTOS, L. O. B. da S. MOREIRA, D. de A. CORRÊA, F. E. DELBEM, A. C. B.
Affiliation:	FILIPI MIRANDA SOARES, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO, FRANCE'S NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT, UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE; ANTONIO MAURO SARAIVA, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO; LUÍS FERREIRA PIRES, UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE; DEBORA PIGNATARI DRUCKER, CNPTIA; KELLY ROSA BRAGHETTO, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO; LUIZ OLAVO BONINO DA SILVA SANTOS, UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE, LEIDEN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER; DILVAN DE ABREU MOREIRA, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO; FERNANDO ELIAS CORRÊA, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO; ALEXANDRE CLÁUDIO BOTAZZO DELBEM, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO.
Date Issued:	2025
Citation:	IEEE Access, v. 13, p. 137986-138004, 2025.
Description:	This paper introduces a novel approach to evaluating ontologies by integrating user experience (UX) metrics, specifically the Tree Testing protocol, into the validation process. Traditional ontology validation often focuses on verifying competency questions via SPARQL queries, overlooking the critical role of domain specialists in assessing usability and conceptual alignment. To address this gap, we applied Tree Testing to the Agricultural Product Types Ontology (APTO), tracking specialists’ navigation paths as they completed 11 domain-specific tasks. This method provided actionable insights into APTO’s usability, revealing structural weaknesses and areas needing refinement. The study involved experts in ontological modeling within the agricultural domain, ensuring feedback was relevant and domain-specific. The findings underscore the value of UX metrics, such as Tree Testing, in identifying user navigation patterns and conceptual misunderstandings. This research illustrates the importance of integrating UX-driven methodologies into ontology design to foster more user-centered and practical knowledge representations for real-world applications. By bridging the gap between technical validation and user-centered evaluation, this work contributes to developing ontologies that are not only technically sound but also intuitive and aligned with the needs of domain experts.
Keywords:	Ontologia Usabilidade Experiência do usuário Validação Avaliação Ontology Usability User experience Validation Evaluation
ISSN:	2169-3536
DOI:	10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3595447
Type of Material:	Artigo de periódico
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Artigo em periódico indexado (CNPTIA)