Beginners' strategies in example based expert systems

摘要

Supervising student teams who worked with expert practitioners to build prototype expert systems has yielded insights into the frustrations and rewards of the early stages of knowledge engineering. This paper presents these insights to the expert systems community, particularly those beginning their first project or entering a wholly new application area. We focus on example based rule induction shells without imprecision. While such tools are generally too limited for implementing a finished, deliverable expert system, they are useful for "breaking the ice" with a quick, inexpensive demonstration system while acquiring the vital first elements of the eventual expert knowledge base.