7. A computing device for translating user keywords into semantic queries, comprising at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory storing instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to: receive keywords; search the conceptual model to identify one or more concepts relevant to the keywords; transform at least a portion of the conceptual model into a connected graph; automatically generate, without user input, at least one path through the connected graph using at least one path expansion rule, the at least one path connecting the one or more concepts; identify and rank facets that support incremental user navigation from nodes of convergence in the at least one path, wherein the facets are generated at least in part by indexing a number of distinct values for attributes of the one or more concepts; generate at least one structured semantic query from the at least one path with the identified and ranked facets; and execute the at least one structure semantic query on a semantic repository.
7. A computing device for translating user keywords into semantic queries, comprising at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory storing instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to: receive keywords; search the conceptual model to identify one or more concepts relevant to the keywords; transform at least a portion of the conceptual model into a connected graph; automatically generate, without user input, at least one path through the connected graph using at least one path expansion rule, the at least one path connecting the one or more concepts; identify and rank facets that support incremental user navigation from nodes of convergence in the at least one path, wherein the facets are generated at least in part by indexing a number of distinct values for attributes of the one or more concepts; generate at least one structured semantic query from the at least one path with the identified and ranked facets; and execute the at least one structure semantic query on a semantic repository. 12. The computing device according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one path expansion rule is a self-loop, a path-loop, or a subsumed-loopor requires applying cardinalities to relations between concepts.