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No description available.

This thesis examines the use of expert systems in semi-formal domains. The research identifies the main problems with semi-formal domains and proposes and evaluates a number of different solutions to them. The thesis considers the traditional approach to developing expert systems, which sees domains as being formal, and notes that it continuously faces problems that result from informal features of the problem domain. To circumvent these difficulties experience or other subjective qualities are often used but they are not supported by the traditional approach to design. The thesis examines the formal approach and compares it with a semiformal approach to designing expert systems which is heavily influenced by the socio-technical view of information systems. From this basis it examines a number of problems that limit the construction and use of knowledge bases in semi-formal domains. These limitations arise from the nature of the problem being tackled, in particular problems of natural language communication and tacit knowledge and also from the character of computer technology and the role it plays. The thesis explores the possible mismatch between a human user and the machine and models the various types of confusion that arise. The thesis describes a number of practical solutions to overcome the problems identified. These solutions are implemented in an expert system shell (PESYS), developed as part of the research. The resulting solutions, based on non-linear documents and other software tools that open up the reasoning of the system, support users of expert systems in examining the boundaries of the knowledge base to help them avoid and overcome any confusion that has arisen. In this way users are encouraged to use their own skills and experiences in conjunction with an expert system to successfully exploit this technology in semi-formal domains.

Document Management is a technology that allows the input, storage, management and control of an image under the supervision of a computer based system. A document may be an electronically scanned image of a hard copy document or an electronic image such as a word-processed file, sound file, video file, or graphics file. Once the document has entered the system, a full history of that document is maintained throughout its lifecycle. The author was responsible for the introduction, development and deployment of Document Management technology into Rover Group. The task given to the author was to implement Document Management technology purely as a repository and distribution management system for engineering drawings. However, by adopting an innovative approach to the application of Document Management technology, substantial benefits were realised. As the author became more conversant with Document Management technology, greater benefits became apparent. Following detailed analysis of Rover's existing `Engineering drawing release process' the author re-engineered the process to allow electronic paperless release of all engineering drawings. This re-engineering provided Rover with substantial tangible and intangible benefits including cost reduction, improved quality of data, reduced `time to market', improved access, improved cycle time and reductions in manual labour. Three projects detailed in the portfolio demonstrate how this technology was applied to existing systems and processes. In particular, the `Hams Hall' project clearly demonstrates innovation in the way in which the author used the technology to manage working practices and data structure for a multi-disciplined team located in different countries. With changes implemented by the author, Rover now hold substantially more digital data than before the implementation of Document Management technology. Following research work by the author into both the types of data held and the use to which that data was put, the legality of that data came into question. This prompted a detailed analysis of the legal requirements of digitally stored data that allowed the author to advise Rover Group of their current status and make recommendations to ensure legal admissibility. The work reported shows how a combination of technical expertise and an appreciation of business issues and drivers, is crucial to the effective and successful implementations of information systems. Other organisations have shown considerable interest in the improved Document Management technology enabled business processes, developed by the author.

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The nature of the generic chemical structures found in patents is described, with a discussion of the types of statement commonly found in them. The available representations for such structures are reviewed, with particular note being given to the suitability of the representation for searching files of such structures. Requirements for the unambiguous representation of generic structures in an "ideal" storage and retrieval system are discussed. The basic principles of the theory of formal languages are reviewed, with particular consideration being given to parsing methods for context-free languages. The Grammar and parsing of computer programming languages, as an example of artificial formal languages, is discussed. Applications of formal language theory to chemistry and information work are briefly reviewed. GENSAL, a formal language for the unambiguous description of generic structures from patents, is presented. It is designed to be intelligible to a chemist or patent agent, yet sufficiently ABSTRACT formaLised to be amenabLe to computer anaLysis. DetaiLed description is given of the facilities it provides for generic structure representation, and there is discussion of its Limitations and the principLes behind its design. A connection-tabLe-based internaL representation for generic structures, caLLed an ECTR (Extended Connection Table Representation) is presented. It is designed to represent generic structures unambiguousLy, and to be generated automatically from structures encoded in GENSAL. It is compared to other proposed representations, and its implementation using data types of the programming Language PascaL described. An interpreter program which generates an ECTR from structures encoded in a subset of the GENSAL Language is presented. The principles of its operation are described. Possible applications of GENSAL outside the area of patent documentation are discussed, and suggestions made for further work on the development of a generic structure storage and retrieval system based on GENSAL and ECTRs.

Information systems design has been strongly influenced by computer technology. However, there are other aspects which can also influence information systems design. It seems that organisational design can greatly influence the success of information systems design. In this thesis we set out to investigate this very issue. This research begins by the discussion of information systems design. The conclusion from this initial probing of the subject is that an information system is a mirror image of the organisation for which it is designed. Also, the notion of the hierarchical structure is built into the models of informations systems and information systems design methodologies. This is being the case, the logical step to follow is to investigate the models of the organisation. The remaining chapters of part I are devoted to discussing models of the organisation. It is argued that, apart from the cybernetic model, none of the other models provide good enough basis for information processing and transmission. These models may differ in certain aspects; however, they are all (except the cybernetic model) built on the hierarchical notion of the organisation. It is argued that an hierarchical structure is a major hindrance to the smooth flow of information inside an organisation. As to the cybernetic model, as exarnplified by Beer's viable system model (VSM), the picture is fundamentally different. This model discards the traditional notion of hierarchy, and replaces it by that of logical hierarchy. The model of organisation it provides is built around the information needs of the organisation. The organisation is provided by an elaborate network to facilitate its internal functioning, and enable it adapt to its environment. Since it is our chosen model of the organisation for providing a suitable basis for information systems design, the totality of part II is dedicated to this model. In part III we set out to test the model. The means by which this is carried out is an emirical investigation of a steel distribution organisation. In this empirical part the model proved to be a very powerful diagnostic tool. By mapping the model onto the organisation in question we could discover that the problems of information processing and transmission of the organisation are largely due to its faulty design. Before we can seriously attempt to redesign its information system, we must look into the organisation itself. In other words, there need be certain structural prerequisites for successful information system design.

No description available.

No description available.

Owing to the rise in the volume of literature, problems arise in the retrieval of required information. Various retrieval strategies have been proposed, but most of that are not flexible enough for their users. Specifically, most of these systems assume that users know exactly what they are looking for before approaching the system, and that users are able to precisely express their information needs according to l aid- down specifications. There has, however, been described a retrieval program THOMAS which aims at satisfying incompletely- defined user needs through a man- machine dialogue which does not require any rigid queries. Unlike most systems, Thomas attempts to satisfy the user's needs from a model which it builds of the user's area of interest. This model is a subset of the program's "world model" - a database in the form of a network where the nodes represent concepts since various concepts have various degrees of similarities and associations, this thesis contends that instead of models which assume equal levels of similarities between concepts, the links between the concepts should have values assigned to them to indicate the degree of similarity between the concepts. Furthermore, the world model of the system should be structured such that concepts which are related to one another be clustered together, so that a user- interaction would involve only the relevant clusters rather than the entire database such clusters being determined by the system, not the user. This thesis also attempts to link the design work with the current notion in psychology centred on the use of the computer to simulate human cognitive processes. In this case, an attempt has been made to model a dialogue between two people - the information seeker and the information expert. The system, called Thomas-II, has been implemented and found to require less effort from the user than Thomas.