Imprecise Meanings as a Cause of Uncertainty in Medical Knowledge-Based Systems

Henkind, Steven J.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-70396-5.50009-1

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Much of this work concerns Bayesian probability theory and fuzzy logic, but some is of more direct relevance to information seeking and searching. For example, Henkind (1986) considers the kind of uncertainty that results from lexically imprecise words in medical expert systems; that is, words that may denote several similar, but not identical entities. The IR field is also directly concerned with uncertainty in terms of fuzzy logic and probabilistic theory, as the workshops on Information retrieval, logic and uncertainty (e.g., van Rijsbergen, 1998) stimulated by van Rijsbergen's (1986) suggestion that relevance in IR might be modeled as an uncertain inference process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information seeking and mediated searching: Part 2. Uncertainty and its correlates

Wilson

Ford

Ellis

et al. 2002

J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci.

139

107

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This article explores the relationship between the concept of uncertainty in information seeking, within a model of the problem-solving process proposed by Wilson (1999a) and variables derived from other models and from the work of Ellis and Kuhlthau. The research has involved longitudinal data collection in the United States and United Kingdom employing three interview schedules (incorporating self-completed questionnaires) used for pre-and postsearch interviews: and postsearch interviews with the information seeker and the search intermediary. In addition, the Sheffield team employed a fourth set of instruments in a follow-up interview some 2 months after the search. Related search episodes, with a professional search intermediary using the Dialog Information Service and other sources were audiotaped, and search transaction logs were recorded. The mediated search clients were faculty and research students engaged in either personal or externally supported research projects. The article concludes that the problem solving model is recognized by such researchers as describing their activities and that the uncertainty concept, operationalized as here, serves as a useful variable in understanding information-seeking behavior. It also concludes that Ellis's concept of "search characteristics" and Kuhlthau's information-seeking stages are independent of the problem stage, and that a set of affective variables, based on those of Kuhlthau, appear to signify a generalized positive or negative affective orientation towards the course of the information problem solution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information seeking and mediated searching: Part 2. Uncertainty and its correlates

Wilson

Ford

Ellis

et al. 2002

J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci.

139

107

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Uncertainty has been discussed by several researchers in the context of information seeking in different fields and among different groups of users (see, e.g. Belkin, 1980;Chowdhury et al, 2011;D'Ambra and Wilson, 2004;Henkind, 1988;Ingwersen, 1996;Kuhlthau, 1999;Mignerey et al, 1995;Ramirez et al, 2002;Sias and Wyers, 2001;Van Rijsbergen, 1998;Wilson et al, 2000Wilson et al, , 2002. Belkin (1980Belkin ( , 2005 links uncertainty to the concept of an anomalous state of knowledge in which a gap in the knowledge of the recipient can only be resolved by information communication.…”

Section: Uncertainty In Isandrmentioning

confidence: 99%

A model of uncertainty and its relation to information seeking and retrieval (IS&R)

Chowdhury

Gibb

Landoni

2014

Journal of Documentation

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to show that uncertainty may be caused not only by a knowledge gap in the mind of a user with respect to a given subject or topic, but also by the various complexities associated with the information seeking and retrieval (IS&R) process in a digital environment. Design/methodology/approach -Both quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted to collect data from users in the higher education sector regarding whether or not they experienced uncertainty in relation to the IS&R process. Analysis: a correlation analysis was undertaken to establish whether there were any relationships between information-seeking activities and information-seeking problems. Findings -The findings of this research show that uncertainty existed at different stages of the IS&R process amongst users. It was established that uncertainty was caused by a number of information-seeking activities and information-seeking problems, and that such uncertainty could continue over the course of successive search sessions, leading to the proposal of a new model of uncertainty.Research limitations/implications -The proposed model of uncertainty should contribute to a better understanding of the issues related to IS&R in a digital environment. Practical implications -A number of benefits could be realised in systems design from the application of this model in terms of reducing the negative impact of uncertainty, while at the same time helping users to gain from the positive aspects of uncertainty in IS&R. Originality/value -The general consensus is that uncertainty is a mental state of users reflecting a gap in knowledge which triggers an IS&R process, and that the gap is reduced as relevant information is found, and thus that the uncertainty disappears as the search process concludes. However, in the present study it is argued that some form of uncertainty is always associated with some part of the IS&R process and that it also fluctuates throughout the IS&R process. Users may therefore feel uncertain at any stage of the IS&R process and this may be related to: the initial information need and expression of that need, the search process itself, including identification of relevant systems, services and resources; and the assessment of, and reaction to, the results produced by the search process. Uncertainty may be unresolved, or even increase, as the user progresses, often iteratively, through the IS&R process and may remain even after its completion, resulting in what may be called a persistent uncertainty. In other words, this research hypothesises that, in addition to the uncertainty that triggers the information search process , users suffer from varying degrees of uncertainty at every stage of the information search and retrieval process, and that in turn, triggers different information-seeking behaviours.

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Uncertainty in artificial intelligence: A review in the context of recent workshops

Lehmann¹

1990

Journal of Mathematical Psychology

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Imprecise Meanings as a Cause of Uncertainty in Medical Knowledge-Based Systems

Abstract: There has been a considerable amount of work on uncertainty in knowledge-based systems. This work has generally been concerned with uncertainty arising from the strength of inferences and the weighting of evidence. In this paper, we discuss another type of uncertainty: that which is

Cited by 5 publications

References 4 publications

Information seeking and mediated searching: Part 2. Uncertainty and its correlates

Information seeking and mediated searching: Part 2. Uncertainty and its correlates

A model of uncertainty and its relation to information seeking and retrieval (IS&R)

Uncertainty in artificial intelligence: A review in the context of recent workshops

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