AI Techniques and Methodology

Computer Sczence Department Carnegae-Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 152125 Two CLOSELY RELATED ASPECTS of Artificial Intelligence t,hat have received comparatively little attention in the recent literature are research methodology and the analysis of computational techniques that span multiple application areas. We believe both issues to be increasingly significant, as Artificial Intelligence matures into a scienceand spins off major application efforts. It is imperative to analyze the repertoire of AI methods with respect to past experience, utility in new domains, extensibility, and functional equivalence with other techniques, if N is to become more effective in building upon prior results rather than continually reinverking the proverbial wheel. Similarly, awareness of research methodology issues can help plan future research by learning from past successes and failures. We view the study of research methodology to be similar to the analysis of operational AI techniques, but at a met,a-level; that is, research methodology analyzes the techniques and methods used by the researchers themselves, rather than their programs, to resolve issues of selecting interesting and tract,able problems to investigate, and of deciding how to proceed with t,heir investigations.