INFORM: an architecture for expert-directed knowledge acquisition

This paper presents an architecture for INFORM, a domain-independent, expert-directed knowledge acquisition aid for developing knowledge-based systems. The INFORM architecture is based on information requirements and modeling approaches derived from both decision analysis and knowledge engineering. It emphasizes accommodating cycles of creative and analytic modeling activity and the assessment and representation of aggregates of information to holistically represent domain expertise. The architecture is best suited to heuristic classification problem-solving (Clancey, 1985), in particular domains with diagnosis or decision-making under uncertainty. Influence diagrams are used as the knowledge structure and computational representation. We present here a set of information and performance requirements for expert-directed knowledge acquisition, and describe a synthesis of approaches for supporting the knowledge engineering activity. We discuss potential applications of INFORM as a knowledge engineering aid, specifically as an aid for developing insight about the encoding domain on the part of its user.