Explanation facilities in expert systems using hypertext technology

Abstract

The process of delivering suitable explanations in expert systems has been a significant area of research since the inception of expert systems. Their ability to provide explanations of the reasoning process behind a conclusion in order to justify their results is an important human-like characteristic. However, a number of problems with explanation facilities in expert systems have become apparent. This article briefly describes a method of merging expert system and hypertext technology in order to improve the explanation facilities in expert systems. Essentially, this involves capturing the reasoning process employed during a consultation with an expert system and presenting it in a hypertext form thus allowing the user to browse through it freely. The hypertext links are generated by following the reasoning process used by the expert system. In addition, hypertext links to related information may be followed to obtain additional explanations of terms and concepts.