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Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

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Peter Marshall and Damian Gord<strong>on</strong><br />

tackling KE, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> underlying questi<strong>on</strong> is succinct and simple; “how can we effectively elicit knowledge<br />

from an expert?” (Cooke, 1994).<br />

2.1 Issues in <strong>Knowledge</strong> Elicitati<strong>on</strong><br />

In adopting KE as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> basis for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KA process, not <strong>on</strong>ly are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> difficulties associated with KA<br />

(knowledge acquisiti<strong>on</strong> bottleneck) inherited but also additi<strong>on</strong>al issues specific to KE need to be<br />

addressed. The development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a knowledge base is problematic and requires c<strong>on</strong>siderable more<br />

time and effort than required in o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r forms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> KA. In this sense, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KE process is an important costdetermining<br />

factor in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whole <strong>Knowledge</strong> Creati<strong>on</strong> process (Martinez-Bejar et al. 1996).<br />

The selecti<strong>on</strong> and availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> expertise is <strong>on</strong>e such issue. Whilst <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a single expert might be<br />

sufficient in some domains, in o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs it is not. Martinez-Bejar et al. (1996) use an example from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

field <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> envir<strong>on</strong>mental planning task to illustrate this, whereby expertise, in areas such as botanical,<br />

zoology, ecology, ec<strong>on</strong>omy, and forestry engineering, are essential in fully understanding <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

problem. Using a single domain expert with expertise in all areas seems highly unlikely. In dealing<br />

with human sources, ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r c<strong>on</strong>cern is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> difficulties in encouraging experts to participate in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KE<br />

process (Okafor and Osuagwu, 2006). Intrinsic fears associated with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> loss <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> unique knowledge<br />

previously used to guarantee relevance, status or job security. The cost / high demand for expertise<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten prohibits <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir inclusi<strong>on</strong> in KM related activities. Complexity is ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r issue; <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effort to elicit<br />

knowledge is high in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> time and expertise (Martinez-Bejar et al. 1996).<br />

Once a <strong>Knowledge</strong> Elicitati<strong>on</strong> activity is up and running, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> task can be slow, inefficient, and<br />

frustrating for all participants. Stefik and C<strong>on</strong>way (1982) described <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge elicitati<strong>on</strong> as a<br />

“necessary burden, carried out under protest so that <strong>on</strong>e can get <strong>on</strong> with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> study <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cognitive<br />

processes in problem solving.” Okafor and Osuagwu (2006) identify problems in c<strong>on</strong>ducting KE<br />

sessi<strong>on</strong>s. Experts are inclined to present an unbalanced picture <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir knowledge, particularly in<br />

explaining <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own knowledge. They tend <strong>on</strong>ly to present <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> procedural steps taken to achieve a<br />

task as opposed to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> actual problem solving strategies employed in decisi<strong>on</strong> making. In respect to<br />

working with a knowledge engineer, Wils<strong>on</strong> and Holloway (2000) raised several important issues.<br />

Experts can feel <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten nervous or intolerant <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> process. This usually happens when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y feel<br />

handicapped or insecure in giving <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge. Problems in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> terminology can occur<br />

between an expert and a knowledge engineer occurs; that leads to c<strong>on</strong>fusi<strong>on</strong>. A problem with most<br />

elicitati<strong>on</strong> techniques is that in additi<strong>on</strong> to capturing valuable knowledge <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is also a certain amount<br />

which is irrelevant with respect to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> goals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KE sessi<strong>on</strong>.<br />

The development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> multiple techniques and methodologies in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KE field has provided a basis for<br />

c<strong>on</strong>fusi<strong>on</strong>. In selecting appropriate techniques for KE, Cooke (1994) stated “no technique is<br />

guaranteed to result in a complete and accurate representati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an expert's knowledge”. Selecting<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> right techniques is an empirical and <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten iterative process. Techniques differ in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />

procedures, as well as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir emphasis <strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>e type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge over ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r. In selecting<br />

appropriate techniques, a knowledge engineer must be aware <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> techniques used in similar or related<br />

fields. In new domains, whereby previous case studies do not exist, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> selecti<strong>on</strong> process is<br />

complicated. From <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> literature, we see that techniques are almost always used in collaborati<strong>on</strong> with<br />

o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs, thus adding to complexity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> technique selecti<strong>on</strong>. Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong> when choosing a KE<br />

technique is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a single expert or multiple experts. Using techniques such as interviewing in<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge elicitati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> multiple experts can exp<strong>on</strong>entially increase <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> cost to perform <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KE<br />

activity. Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r factor that will impact <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> process is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an expert to articulate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />

knowledge as a clear set <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> modifiable facts, objects and rules, and give reas<strong>on</strong>s for each decisi<strong>on</strong>.<br />

2.2 Requirements for <strong>Knowledge</strong> Elicitati<strong>on</strong><br />

From <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> outset <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a KE program, identifying relevant knowledge sources is key its success. Hanes<br />

and Gross (2002) noted that experts used in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> process should ei<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r be recognised as an expert in<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> field and possess expertise in handling rare or infrequent events. As a means to encourage expert<br />

participati<strong>on</strong>, Slagle and Wick (1988) identified several key factors. Management participati<strong>on</strong> is<br />

essential as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are resp<strong>on</strong>sible for creating a cultural change management program required to aid<br />

all KM initiatives. Management must make <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> experts aware <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> importance <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong> to<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KE process. Organisati<strong>on</strong>s can also encourage experts to participate through financial and<br />

statutory pay<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fs. In terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir usage in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> process, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y must provide assurances that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> time<br />

allocated to each elicitati<strong>on</strong> sessi<strong>on</strong> is kept to a minimum. In order to reduce <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> complexity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

593

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