The knowledge elicitation problem: a psychological perspective

Abstract The knowledge elicitation problem arises from the need to acquire the knowledge of human experts in an explicit form suitable for encoding in a computer program such as an expert system. This is very difficult to perform successfully because of the size and complexity of knowledge structures in the human brain, and because much procedural knowledge is tacit and unavailable to conscious verbal report via interview methods. The present paper draws upon an extensive review of research in the field of cognitive psychology in an attempt to offer a practical approach to this problem. First, a wide range of cognitive theories concerning the nature of knowledge representation in humans is considered, and a synthesis of the current state of theory is provided. Second, attention is drawn to a number of performance factors which may constrain the exhibition of a person's underlying cognitive competence. There then follows a review and discussion of a number of alternative psychological methodologies that might be applied to the elicitation of different types of human knowledge. Finally, some suggestions are made for the application of the psychological work discussed to the practical problem of knowledge elicitation.