View source for Intelligence Analysis and Ontology Engineering Fall 2026

'''PHI 489/579: Intelligence Analysis and Ontology Engineering'''

University at Buffalo, Fall 2026

This course is cross-listed for undergraduate students as PHI 489 and graduate students as PHI 579.

== Course Description ==

This course integrates foundational principles of ontology engineering with contemporary research and practice in intelligence analysis.

Students examine how ontology, semantic web technologies, and knowledge graphs can support the analysis of intelligence information. The course also considers foundational questions involving knowledge, truth, ethics, decision-making, cybersecurity, terrorism, military intelligence, and artificial intelligence in intelligence operations.

Students will learn to apply ontology engineering methods to practical intelligence problems and to critically evaluate the role of semantic technologies in intelligence analysis.

== Topics ==

* Foundations of ontology engineering
* Ontology design patterns
* Top-down and bottom-up intelligence analysis
* Military intelligence
* Semantic web technologies and knowledge graphs
* Cybersecurity
* The ontology of terrorism
* Secrets and information control
* Ethics and artificial intelligence in intelligence operations
* Practical ontology modeling for intelligence domains

== Course Materials ==

Course materials, lectures, readings, and slides are available through the [https://github.com/Applied-Ontology-Education/Ontology-and-Intel-Analysis-Fall-2024 Ontology and Intelligence Analysis GitHub repository].