Using the expert's diagrams as a specification of expertise

Abstract: "This work explores the use of diagrams in generating executable specifications of expert knowledge. We make the observation that experts frequently use diagrams as an efficient means of communicating detailed information. For some types of information diagrams might offer the expert an alternative to the high cost of understanding existing knowledge representation formalisms. We are interested in accomplishing three things: 1) understanding the diagramming techniques used by domain experts to encode detailed information in a restricted type of diagram called a relational diagram; 2) characterizing a set of notions that experts frequently encode in relational diagrams; 3) developing an environment that allows experts to partially construct a formal specification of problem domain knowledge by drawing relational diagrams.We describe BOS, a diagramming tool that allows domain experts to build a customized set of diagramming conventions suitable to their problem domain. Diagrams drawn with BOS generate formal specifications that reduce the need to establish the diagram's meaning through accompanying text or verbal explanation. BOS is currently able to generate frames and rules from an interesting set of relational diagrams that allow the use of spatial arrangement and connectivity to represent notions about problem domain entities, part of relations, constraints, temporal ordering, and procedural steps."