WP-1: Developing tools for
Ontology Construction and Interchange
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| Ontologies guide each of the various means of
On-To-Knowledge. Each layer of its tool environment, the
methodology, and each of these case studies is organised
around the use of ontologies. Therefore, advanced support in
developing ontologies is a key asset in guarantying the
success of On-To-Knowledge. This support has to be provided in
three different ways: developing ontologies from scratch,
adapting (i.e., reuse) existing ontologies for new
applications, and getting ontologies for free, i.e., applying
automatic ontology construction techniques. |
| WP-1.1 Ontology Language |
| In order to work with ontologies they must be expressed by
using some formalism with predefined epistemological
primitives. We will develop a language for describing
ontologies using and adapting existing proposals. |
| WP-1.2 Ontology Editor |
| An advanced visualization editor will be developed that will
ensure that ontology can be performed by information providers
who are not IT experts. |
| WP-1.3 Evolving Ontologies |
Ontologies need to change over time. To manage this process,
we need to explicitly model their relationships with earlier
ontology versions. Maintaining the change solves the legacy
problem when older versions of ontologies where used to
annotate large bodies of information. On-To-Knowledge provides
version management for ontologies integrated with automatic
translation between the different ontologies. These
translations are defined with the ontology translator.
- Existing ontologies change when they are adapted to the
task- and application-specific needs. We will provide a
library of reusable ontologies with support for selecting
and adapting these ontologies
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WP-2: Developing support in
Information extraction
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| This Workpackage deals with the automatic generation and
refinement of ontologies as well as parts of them. Autonomous
ontology creation is of central interest to any project that
deals with ontology-based information management. |
| WP-2.1 Exploration and Evaluation of
existing information extraction techniques |
| Exploration and Evaluation of already known ways for
performing the task of information extraction from various
information sources (this will possibly mean discussion and
interaction with other European project groups such as the
TREVI project). |
| WP-2.2 Information extraction techniques
for unstructured documents |
Refinement and adaptation of the current approach to
analysis and retrieval of semantic knowledge from unstructured
documents w.r.t. the ontology approach undertaken in the
On-To-Knowledge project and the results of WP-2.1 defined
above.
- Ontology based concept extraction: a natural language
based tool for extraction ontological concepts from
documents. This workpackage will exploit much of the
current in-house technology of CognIT.
- Capturing of "general knowledge" as well as
"specific knowledge". The roles of
"names" in a text structure has to be clarified.
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| WP-2.3 Information extraction techniques
for semi-structured documents (wrappers) |
Ontology supported wrappers: a pattern-matching language for
adding structure to documents based on patterns found in the
documents and on what is required for ontological categories.
Existing technology that will be exploited here are approaches
such as W4F, JEDI, and in-house technology of BT.
- Wrapper definition tool. A tool for writing such
wrappers.
- Wrapper application tool. An engine for applying such
wrappers to documents; either off-line or on line (i.e.,
at query-time). This engine should also include
annotations stemming from WP2.2.
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WP-3: Developing an
infrastructure for Information representation
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| The purpose of the Representation Layer is to represent and
manipulate the semantic information provided by the Extraction
layer in order to fulfil the user-oriented needs of the access
layer. The primary representation requirement at this level is
representing the structured information as extracted from the
repositories by the extraction layer. Primary computation
requirements at this level are a query-service for the
structured information extracted from the documents. |
| WP-3.1 Representing the structured
information |
| We expect to be able to conform to existing, recently
defined or currently arising WWW-standards. Both XML and RDF
have now been adopted as standards for representing the
structure of documents (XML), and for representing
meta-information about documents (RDF). By conforming to such
existing or arising standards, the On-To-Knowledge toolkit
will smoothly interface with technology developed both in
other EU-sponsored projects and world-wide. |
| WP-3.2 Query language |
| For many of the services at the access layer it will be
necessary to pose and answer queries on the structured
information that has been obtained from the unstructured
information repository. Unlike existing query languages, the
vocabulary of such queries is not determined by the accidental
format of the information source, but instead by the
ontological categories that have been defined for the
information. Examples of existing query languages are again
the language from the Ontobroker and WebMaster projects (AIFB,
VU, AIdministrator), but also a number of XML query languages
proposed to the W3C. Queries in the On-To-Knowledge query
language will typically compute values for ontological
attributes of the information sources. Such ontological
attribute-value pairs are subsequently used as in tasks at the
access layer such as query-answering, agent-based information
access and user-profile construction. |
| WP-3.3 Query engine |
| Since the On-To-Knowledge toolkit aims at enterprise wide
scalability, efficient query evaluation techniques will be
required for the query engine. Work has already been done at
AIdministrator on query optimisation (e.g. by query
transformation, and by heuristic query ordering), and on
incremental evaluation strategies (minimising the
re-evaluation of queries on updated information sources). Work
has already been done at AIFB on exploiting data-base
technology for efficient query processing. |
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WP-4: Developing various
means for Information Access
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| The aim of this work package is to develop advanced push and
pull techniques to lower the thresholds for accessing this
information. Agent-based techniques as well as state-of the
art querying and visualisation techniques can fully employ the
formal annotations to guide user access of information.
Ontologies will provide the crucial means needed to integrate
the resources dispersed across web pages into a coherent
corpus of interrelated information. |
| WP-4.1 Search Facility |
The search facility will use a collection of information
agents to find and filter relevant information that matches
the user's interests. The information agents will search the
World Wide Web, (WWW), a company's Intranet, News Groups, or
organisational memories based on the user's profile.
- The functionality of these information agents will go
beyond existing because these agents will be capable to
exploit the interrelationships between selected pieces of
information. Using ontologies the agents can put otherwise
isolated information into a meaningful context. The
implicit structures revealed help users use and manage
information more efficiently
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| WP-4.2 Knowledge Sharing Facility |
Retrieved information can only reach its full potential
value as useful knowledge if it is available to the right
people at the right time. The knowledge sharing facility will
ensure that this is the case, by automatically disseminating
all shared information directly to those community members who
need to have it. A quality information resource can build up,
and can be searched at any time using the ontology-supported
search facility.
- View definition on ontologies: On-To-Knowledge provides
support in defining personalised views on a joint
ontology. Then, agents make use of a common ontology but
are still able to use their internal representation by
explicitly linking their internal view with the external
ontology.
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| WP-4.3 Visualisation Facility |
| The visualisation facility will be a collaborative
3D-information visualisation tool for finding, retrieving and
sharing information. Since humans are instinctively attuned to
a 3D world, 3D interactive multimedia information sources
offer the possibility of an intuitive and natural way to
explore complex ideas, concepts and information. The
visualisation facility aims to provide a virtual environment
wherein users can meet and share relevant information. |
| WP-4.4 Semi-automatic user Profile
construction |
| We will develop monitoring agents that track people's
informational behaviour when accessing knowledge repositories
and the underlying ontologies. This will enable such
monitoring agents to build up ever more accurate profiles of
their respective users. User can also define their own
personalised view, their user profile and their information
agents in terms of an ontology. Using this profile, agents can
find, share and manage information. |
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WP-5: Methodology and
Management Guidelines
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| The aim of the workpackage on methodology is to develop
management guidelines and methods ensuring a successful
introduction of knowledge management tools into an enterprise.
Here, we need an integrated approach balancing the
organisation and management aspects on the one hand, and the
information technology and systems aspects on the other hand. |
| WP-5.1 Baseline version of the
On-To-Knowledge KM |
| Very early on in the project, we will produce a baseline
version of the On-To-Knowledge KM guidelines for management.
They are based on CommonKADS, literature study and a
systematisation of existing practical experiences. |
| WP-5.2 Employment and Evaluation of the
baseline version of the On-To-Knowledge KM |
| The baseline version is employed and evaluated in the set of
case studies envisaged. Here, case study partners are required
to use and give feedback on the KM guidelines, and methodology
partners are required to give active assistance and support
the organisation of feedback. |
| WP-5.3 Gradual Expansion and Revision of
the baseline version |
| The baseline version is gradually expanded and revised by
the methodology partners as experiences become increasingly
available covering the different issues mentioned. |
| WP-5.4 Final version of the
On-To-Knowledge KM Guidelines |
| At the end of the project, a validated final version of the
On-To-Knowledge KM guidelines is produced that is general and
comprehensive and practically illustrated by real-life
industry cases. The result will be the On-To-Knowledge
methodology being described in a comprehensive guide book. |
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WP-6: Case study on
organisational memory
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| WP-6.1 Application Study |
| A first, 6 month application study will yield a detailed
requirements analysis of the whole case study. Where possible,
already existing versions of tools will be employed to achieve
as much of the intended, final functionality as possible. |
| WP-6.2 First Prototype |
The starting point for the first real prototype are two
already existing information systems for supporting office
work. The first prototype aims at achieving the following two
goals:
- Obtain a smooth integration of weakly structured
knowledge with formally represented knowledge.
- Based on that integration, provide a maintenance tool
that makes extension and modification of both, weakly
structured and formalized knowledge easy. The tool ensures
consistency by keeping track of link structure and taking
into account the type and contents of the informational
units being related.
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| WP-6.3 OM Application and Evaluation |
This work package will investigate how to apply the tools
and techniques developed during project to meet the
requirements identified in the requirement analysis. The
objective of the evaluation aspect of this task is also to
measure and report the progress of the On-To-Knowledge project
in terms of the five key criteria formulated by the
commission. In this way, we end up with (the prototype of) a
full-fledged Organizational Memory System.
- While the first prototype has focused on maintenance
aspects, the second prototype concentrates more on the
aspects of providing an end user optimal access to the
company's organizational memory.
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WP-7 A case study on call
centers
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| Call Centres are becoming an increasingly important
mechanism for customer contact in many European industries.
Work must be organised and distributed efficiently without a
generic view of either customers or customer service people.
Every transaction should emphasise the uniqueness of both the
customer and the customer service person. To do this one needs
effective knowledge management. This includes knowledge about
the customer but also knowledge about the customer service
person so that the customer is directed to the right person to
answer their query. This knowledge must also be used in a
meaningful and timely way. |
| WP-7.1 Requirement Analysis |
| This work package will look at one or more of BT's own Call
Centres to identify requirements and opportunities for
effective knowledge management as outlined above. More
specifically, call centre agents tend to use a variety of
electronic sources for information when interacting with
customers including their own specialised systems, customer
databases, the organisation's intranet and, perhaps most
importantly, case bases of best practice. |
| WP-7.2 Tool Application and Evaluation |
This work package will investigate how to apply the tools
and techniques developed during project to meet the
requirements identified in the requirement analysis. The tools
are expected to provide a natural and intuitive front end onto
the heterogeneous information sources used within Call Centres.
- The evaluation criterion is to what degree the
application of tools and methodology can ensure that the
performance of the best Call Centre agents is transferred
to the others. The objective of the evaluation aspect of
this task is also to measure and report the progress of
the On-To-Knowledge project in terms of the five key
criteria formulated by the commission.
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WP-8: A case study on
knowledge management in a virtual enterprise
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The aim of this case-study by Enersearch is to evaluate the
On-To-Knowledge toolkit for increased knowledge transfer
between different researchers in the partner's organisation,
and between researchers and specialist from Enersearch's
shareholding companies who have a general interest in getting
up-to-date information about achieved R&D results.
- Two different interest groups from the virtual
organization will be selected in the case-study:
1. researchers from different fields, and
2. specialists from the shareholders' organizations.
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| WP-8.1 IT in Energy ontology design and
implementation |
The first task is to structure (parts of) the current
web-site in a way suitable for both storing and retrieving
information. This will be done in two steps:
1. Make the domain ontology for this context with the
help of the On-To-Knowledge tools and methodologies. That
is, identify and describe the content identifiers and
structures of this application domain in a format suitable
for electronic storage and retrieval.
2. Link this ontology to the materials on the
web-site (both public and confidential parts). That is,
classify the current content of the web-site using the
abstractions from item 1 above, and support information
users and providers with tools for taking advantage of the
content-based classification approach.
- This task will be coordinated with the work ongoing in
the Methodology WP5, by using and giving feedback on the
management and development guidelines proposed there.
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| WP-8.2 Preparation of the evaluation
experiment |
| The evaluation experiment will be set up by arranging two
different focus groups of users who will actually carry out
the evaluation experiment. Again, these groups can mainly be
characterized as information providers and information users.
In addition, a scenario for the evaluation experiment will be
prepared, including tools for organizing the desired feedback
(interview schemes, questionnaires and the like). |
| WP-8.3 Application study and Evaluation |
| The actual evaluation experiment is carried out according to
the results of Tasks 8.1 and 8.2. The results of the
experiment will be laid down in a final deliverable of WP8,
collecting the experiences with the On-To-Knowledge tools and
methodology. The evaluation of the On-To-Knowledge tools and
methods will be in the form of evaluation reports serving as
feedback to the On-To-Knowledge tool developers. |
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WP-9: Information
dissimination, take-up of results, and Exploitation
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| The goal of this task is to distribute the results of the
project and convincing other organisations that it may be
valuable for them to apply our techniques. We will also aim
for getting feedback from external sources to improve our
results. |
| WP-9.1 Web Site |
| We will run a web site of the project which may include
downloadable beta versions of programs. |
| WP-9.2 Workshops |
| We will organise two workshops with external persons to
discuss our results. |
| WP-9.3 Exploitation Activities |
| The project objectives represent major business
opportunities for all the partners involved and coordinated
exploitation activities will take place throughout the
project. |
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WP-10: Management
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| WP-10.1: Project Management |
| Main responsible partner is VU. The structure and activities
of project management are described elsewhere. |
| WP-10.2 Exploitation Management |
BT will assume the main responsibility for the exploitation
management. It will assist the other partners in identifying
relevant market segments and potential customers.
To this end, it will provide:
- market reports (including estimates of potential market
size)
- competitor reports,
- technology assessments.
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WP-11: Management
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| WP-11.1: OMM Analysis & Design |
| Main responsible partner is SAI. The structure and activities of project management are described elsewhere. |
| WP-11.2 OMM Development |
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| WP-11.3 Reasoning Enhancements |
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| WP-11.4 OMM Integration |
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Workpackage
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