Developing an Ontology-Driven and Governance-Integrated Method for Information Dashboard Design

Despite the increasing reliance on information dashboards across industries, dashboard design practices remain fragmented, lacking standardized methodologies, ontological formalization, and governance integration. Addressing these gaps, this study develops a method to guide dashboard design by embedding ontological modeling and Information Governance (IG) principles. Two complementary artifacts are proposed: the Information Dashboard Design Ontology (IDDO) and the Information Dashboard Design Method (IDDM) Canvas. Using Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) and a Unified Ontological Approach (UOA), IDDO formalizes tacit dashboard design knowledge into a structured framework, while the IDDM Canvas operationalizes this ontology into a practical design tool. Validation through the Ontological Unified Modeling Language (OntoUML) Plugin and conceptual assessment based on Unified Foundational Ontology (UFO) principles confirmed internal consistency and ontological soundness. The resulting framework integrates twelve dashboard design building blocks with eight IG principles to ensure rigor and governance alignment. The application of the IDDM Canvas demonstrated its utility in facilitating structured, replicable dashboard development. While the evaluation focused primarily on conceptual validation, future studies are recommended to empirically assess the framework’s practical effectiveness across various domains and real-world projects.

@article{Nasir2025,
  title     = {Developing an Ontology-Driven and Governance-Integrated Method for Information Dashboard Design},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {16},
  number    = {6},
  year      = {2025},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Ahadi Haji Mohd Nasir and Nik Habibullah Nik Mohd Nizam and Mohd Khairul Maswan Mohd Redzuan and Mohammad Nazir Ahmad},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160643},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160643}
}