Researchers’ Artificial Intelligence Expert System Rule-Based Decision Making Using Visirule

Abstract

The concentration towards the use of software applications to support decision making has been around for years. The past decades have witnessed a tremendous development in the graphical user interface, which facilitates the use of more advanced computational techniques to a wider group of users. As a consequence, several decision analytic tools have emerged in recent years. In many occasions, researchers get confused and perplexed when to select appropriate statistical designs and tools. Research design gives the researcher the direction of the study in terms of research questions or hypotheses formulation, use of the instrument and the analysis type. The study presents Research Design Selection for researchers using Expert System Rule-based decision tool (visirule). The Visirule software was used as a decision supporting tool, using Logic Programming Model to present RDS-Expert in a concisely and precisely way. The RDS Expert serves as a guide for researchers to use in making good decision regarding the type of research design fit their studies. The study severs as a guide for graduating students as well as researchers in helping them to solve the problem of selecting appropriate and relevant research design, instrument to collect data and data analysis tools for conducting an acceptable research projects, dissertations and theses. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by examining the problem which researchers, academicians and students have been facing for years.