Knowledge Acquisition in the Development of a Large Expert System

This article discusses several effective techniques for expert system knowledge acquisition based on the techniques that were successfilly used to develop the Central Office Maintenance Printout Analysis and Suggestion System (COMPASS) Knowledge acquisition is not a science, and expert system developers and experts must tailor their methodologies to fit their situation and the people involved. This knowledge is then implemented to form an expert system. The essential part of an expert system is its knowledge, and therefore, knowledge acquisition is probably the most important task in the development of an expert system. In this article, several effective techniques for expert system knowledge acquisition are discussed based on the techniques that were successfully used at GTE Laboratories to develop the COMPASS expert system. Knowledge acquisition for expert system development is still a new field and not (yet?) a science.