PHASES Workshop

Workshop Overview

This workshop, in association with the National Institute of Health funded project Promoting Healthy Aging through Semantic Enrichment of Solitude Research (PHASES) (NIH Grant #R01AG075745), focuses on advancing social science research concerning healthy aging through the application of semantic technologies.

Varied definitions, measurement methods, and theoretical frameworks often hinder effective synthesis across theory and research on solitude, narrative identity, and gerotranscendence. For example, solitude research often focuses on short-term psychological states (of being alone), while narrative identity research addresses long-term identity development and meaning-making, and gerotranscendence studies explore shifts in life perspectives among older adults. Although there are some obvious overlaps, inconsistencies in construct definitions and methodologies across the different areas have limited integration of this research. Thus, there is a clear need for ontologies to bridge gaps across disciplines, standardize definitions, and enable interdisciplinary collaboration.

With an emphasis on gerotranscendence, narrative identity, and solitude, we will explore how ontologies and knowledge graphs enrich disparate data in social science research.