Ontologies for Software Engineering: Past, Present and Future

Background/Objectives: Research in recent years has probed integration amongst research field of Software Engineering & Semantic Web technology, addressing the advantages of applying Semantic techniques to the field of Software Engineering. Prolifically published studies have further substantiated the benefits of ontologies to the field of Software Engineering, which clearly motivate us to explore further opportunities available in this collaborated field. This paper is a survey expounding such opportunities while discussing the role of ontologies as a Software Life-Cycle support technology. Method/Statistical Analysis: Survey centred on providing an overview of the state-of-art of all the ontologies available for Software Engineering followed by their categorization based on software life cycle phases and their application scope. Findings: Characterization of ontologies as a Software Life-cycle support technology, instigated by the increasing need to investigate the interplay between Semantic Web & Software Engineering with the ultimate goal of enabling & improving Software Engineering capabilities. Application/Improvements: This paper discusses the practical and potential applications of ontologies in the field of Software Engineering followed by the issues and challenges that will keep this field dynamic and lively for years to come.