Ontological Unpacking as Explanation: The Case of the Viral Conceptual Model

Inspired by the need to understand the genomic aspects of COVID-19, the Viral Conceptual Model captures and represents the sequencing of viruses. Although the model has already been successfully used, it should have a strong ontological foundation to ensure that it can be consistently applied and expanded. We apply an ontological analysis of the Viral Conceptual Model, using OntoUML, to unpack and identify its core components. The analysis illustrates the feasibility of bringing ontological clarity to complex models. The process of revealing the ontological semantics of a data structuring model provides a fundamental type of explanation for symbolic models, including conceptual models.