Abstract. This paper describes hybrid search, a search method supporting both document and knowledge retrieval via the flexible combination of ontologybased search and keyword-based matching. Hybrid search smoothly copes with lack of semantic coverage of document content, which is one of the main limitations of current semantic search methods. In this paper we define hybrid search formally, discuss its compatibility with the current semantic trends and present a reference implementation: K-Search. We then show how the method outperforms both keyword-based search and pure semantic search in terms of precision and recall in a set of experiments performed on a collection of about 18.000 technical documents. Experiments carried out with professional users show that users understand the paradigm and consider it very powerful and reliable. K-Search has been ported to two applications released at Rolls-Royce plc for searching technical documentation about jet engines.

This paper details an integrated methodology to optimise knowledge reuse and sharing, illustrated with a use case in the aeronautics domain. It uses ontologies as a central modelling strategy for the capture of knowledge from legacy documents via automated means, or directly in systems interfacing with knowledge workers, via user-defined, webbased forms. The domain ontologies used for knowledge capture also guide the retrieval of the knowledge extracted from the data using a semantic search system that provides support for multiple modalities during search. This approach has been applied and evaluated successfully within the aero-

Abstract. Modern knowledge management is based on the orchestration of dynamic communities that acquire and share knowledge according to customized schemas. However, while independence of ontological views is favoured, these communities must also be able to share their knowledge with the rest of the organization. In this paper we introduce K-Forms and K-Search, a suite of Semantic Web tools for supporting distributed and networked knowledge acquisition, capturing, retrieval and sharing. They enable communities of users to define their own domain views in an intuitive way (automatically translated into formal ontologies) and capture and share knowledge according to them. The tools favour reuse of existing ontologies; reuse creates as side effect a network of (partially) interconnected ontologies that form the basis for knowledge exchange among communities. The suite is under release to support knowledge capture, retrieval and sharing in a large jet engine company.

Abstract. This paper details the use of Semantic Web tools for supporting networked knowledge acquisition, search and sharing in large distributed organisations. The demonstration will showcase from a user perspective an application developed to aid knowledge management in large organisations, detailing the problems and technical solutions employed.

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