A framework for constructing visual knowledge specifications in acquiring organizational knowledge

Abstract

Most work in knowledge acquisition assumes that there is a single problem-solving task for which the knowledge base being constructed through acquisition will be applied. However, there is growing interest in a class of knowledge-based systems, referred to as organizational knowledge systems , where it cannot be assumed that there is a single task model or problem-solving method for which the knowledge is to be acquired. This paper discusses this type of knowledge-based system, the factors in organizational problem-solving which mitigate its existence, and presents a framework for knowledge acquisition in this environment. The acquisition framework, known as Conceptual Abstraction , has its basis in semantic data modeling, model-based KA, and visual programming. It has been effectively applied in the specification of knowledge schemata for organizational knowledge bases. The paper discusses the underlying model for abstraction and the associated abstraction mechanisms of the Conceptual Abstraction approach, and illustrates their use through example.