Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 4.1
A role-taxonomy of knowledge
system. Figure
4.1
shows the current status of this taxonomy, only part of which will
be discussed here.
As boxes in Fig.
4.1
, overlaid on this taxonomy are the roles, as identified by
Davies et al. (Table
4.1
), of the different categories of knowledge. All knowledge
can act as a surrogate to the world.
Tacit
is understood from experience,
declarative
is defined knowledge, and both are primarily used via a representation as human
expression and communication. Part of the declarative knowledge is the 'ontology'
or
taxonomy
accepted by the participants of a conversation, and the range of possible
inference
mechanisms that can be sanctioned are shown. The
Heuristics
shown in
Fig.
4.1
provides the guidance for problem solving within a representational scheme.
Figure
4.1
illustrates that knowledge can be divided into four broad categories.
Davies et al.'s theory only provides three of these categories:
•
Declarative
•
Heuristic
•
Inferential
These must be present in any operational system, though their inclusion is not, of
course, a sufficient condition for intelligence. The
tacit
dimension remains outside
of any symbolic system, but must be possessed by a human user for that system to
be viable. Such knowledge is embodied partly in cognitive structures and partly in
social ones; this is why so much of what people learn must be taught, ostensibly, by
example and by other people (Collins
1975
,
1985
,
1990
).
