The Use of Ontologies to Accelerate the Behavioral Sciences: Promises and Challenges

Behavioral scientists produce a vast amount of research every year yet struggle to produce cumulative knowledge that is easily translated in applied settings. This article summarizes a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus report on the development and use of ontologies to accelerate the behavioral sciences. The report examines key challenges in the behavioral and psychological sciences motivating an evaluation of ontology use and development in the behavioral sciences. The advantages of ontologies, including enhanced organization and retrieval of research evidence, improved scientific communication, reduction of duplication, and enhanced scientific replicability, are highlighted. Challenges that may impede the development and use of ontologies in the behavioral sciences are also considered. The article concludes with future directions for fulfilling the promise of ontologies to accelerate the behavioral and psychological sciences.