Virtuous Cycle

Why represent information from some area of knowledge (a.k.a. body of knowledge, corpus) in the form of a machine-readable knowledge representation? How do you eliminate "wild behavior" of the stakeholders of system which make use of the knowledge representation? How is an area of knowledge created, used, and managed today? Might a machine-readable knowledge representation be superior to current approaches to representing an area of knowledge?

Think about some specific area of knowledge such as a financial reporting scheme such as US GAAP or IFRS. The following tasks take place:

  • Define: Description/specification/explanation of the terms, associations, structures, assertions, restrictions, constraints in the area of knowledge by a standards setter, regulator, or someone else creating an area of knowledge; the area of knowledge could be human readable, machine readable, or preferably machine readable form from which a human readable representation can be automatically generated. This specification is an intentional description of stakeholder assumptions about the nature and structure and a vocabulary that stakeholders can use to discuss the description.
  • Create: Create/construction of a report that is consistent with the definition/specification of that area of knowledge using traditional or more modern approaches such as model-based report creation/construction using an expert system leveraging/driven by the machine readable description/specification.
  • Verify: Verify/verification that the report created/constructed has been done so consistent with what is permitted by the description/specification using that machine readable area of knowledge.
  • Extract: Extract/analyze information (i.e. systemic computational analysis) from a report created using software that leverages the description/specification and verified to be consistent with that definition/specification provided in that machine readable area of knowledge including the assertions, restrictions, constraints and other rules.

The extent to which this is, or is not, possible provides information about the adequateness or inadequateness of the description/specification of that machine readable body of knowledge. Testing of the system against the goals and objectives of the stakeholders of the system indicates to what extent a virtuous cycle exists.  Feedback from system users enables improvement to the system.

Subject matter experts (SMEs) need clarity of their understanding, making explicit the assumptions that they are making with regard to some area of knowledge such that subject matter experts can communicate about that area of knowledge. This specification is an intentional description of explicit stakeholder assumptions about the important relevant nature and structure and a vocabulary that stakeholders can use to discuss the description.  A specification should enable communication within an area of knowledge and between different areas of knowledge. The vocabulary used and the relevant nature and structure is a commitment about the area of knowledge. The objective is to continually reduce ambiguity and misunderstandings between stakeholders.

In systems where the nature and structure of an area of knowledge can be expanded, such as US GAAP and IFRS where extension/expansion of the area of knowledge is possible, mechanisms to enable such expansion of such an area of knowledge within permitted boundaries is necessary. A well-founded knowledge representation for an area of knowledge can make explicit the reasons for agreement and the reasons for disagreement therefore make obstacles to mutual understanding of stakeholders clear. Mutual understanding leads to interoperability.  A well-founded knowledge representation enables collaborative participation. A well-founded knowledge representation makes intended meaning explicit.

The feedback loop of this virtuous cycle continually improves both the knowledge representation of the area of knowledge and the system as a whole.

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