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Transferring knowledge from one system to another
1Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York.
Proceedings. Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Populating knowledge bases like FRAMEMED from external sources is challenging due to system variability and copyright issues. The NLM Metathesaurus offered limited utility due to inconsistent concept granularity and missing definitions.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Knowledge Engineering
Background:
- Transferring knowledge between systems is difficult due to unique system designs and copyright restrictions.
- Existing open-source knowledge bases often present challenges for direct integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the suitability of the NLM Metathesaurus as an open-source knowledge source for populating the FRAMEMED knowledge base.
- To identify limitations in using the NLM Metathesaurus for knowledge base construction.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated the NLM Metathesaurus for concept granularity and definition availability.
- Considered electronic reference books as alternative knowledge sources.
Main Results:
- The NLM Metathesaurus exhibited highly variable concept granularity.
- Essential definitions were largely absent, hindering direct knowledge transfer.
- Electronic reference books necessitate significant human effort and copyright clearance for reformatting.
Conclusions:
- The NLM Metathesaurus, despite being open-source, is not ideal for direct knowledge base population due to data inconsistencies.
- Alternative knowledge sources require substantial resources for adaptation and integration.