Corporate document mining for technology intelligence: An analysis of needs, utilization and possibilities

This paper focuses on document data, one of the most significant sources for technology intelligence. To help organisations use their knowledge in documents effectively, this research aims to identify what organizations really want from documents and what might be possible to obtain from them. The research involves a literature review, a series of in-depth/on-site interviews and a descriptive analysis of document mining applications. The output of the research includes: a document mining framework; an analysis of the current condition of document mining in technology-based organisations together with their future requirements; and guidelines for introducing document mining into an organisation along with a discussion on the practical issues that are faced by users. Copyright © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

The retrieval of structured design rationale for the re-use of design knowledge with an integrated representation

Design knowledge can be acquired from various sources and generally requires an integrated representation for its effective and efficient re-use. Though knowledge about products and processes can illustrate the solutions created (know-what) and the courses of actions (know-how) involved in their creation, the reasoning process (know-why) underlying the solutions and actions is still needed for an integrated representation of design knowledge. Design rationale is an effective way of capturing that missing part, since it records the issues addressed, the options considered, and the arguments used when specific design solutions are created and evaluated. Apart from the need for an integrated representation, effective retrieval methods are also of great importance for the re-use of design knowledge, as the knowledge involved in designing complex products can be huge. Developing methods for the retrieval of design rationale is very useful as part of the effective management of design knowledge, for the following reasons. Firstly, design engineers tend to want to consider issues and solutions before looking at solid models or process specifications in detail. Secondly, design rationale is mainly described using text, which often embodies much relevant design knowledge. Last but not least, design rationale is generally captured by identifying elements and their dependencies, i.e. in a structured way which opens the opportunity for going beyond simple keyword-based searching. In this paper, the management of design rationale for the re-use of design knowledge is presented. The retrieval of design rationale records in particular is discussed in detail. As evidenced in the development and evaluation, the methods proposed are useful for the re-use of design knowledge and can be generalised to be used for the retrieval of other kinds of structured design knowledge. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of document-mining techniques and tools for technology intelligence: Discovering knowledge from technical documents

This research proposes a method for extracting technology intelligence (TI) systematically from a large set of document data. To do this, the internal and external sources in the form of documents, which might be valuable for TI, are first identified. Then the existing techniques and software systems applicable to document analysis are examined. Finally, based on the reviews, a document-mining framework designed for TI is suggested and guidelines for software selection are proposed. The research output is expected to support intelligence operatives in finding suitable techniques and software systems for getting value from document-mining and thus facilitate effective knowledge management. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

An integrated representation of the services provided by global water resources

Water is essential not only to maintain the livelihoods of human beings but also to sustain ecosystems. Over the last few decades several global assessments have reviewed current and future uses of water, and have offered potential solutions to a possible water crisis. However, these have tended to focus on water supply rather than on the range of demands for all water services (including those of ecosystems). In this paper, a holistic global view of water resources and the services they provide is presented, using Sankey diagrams as a visualisation tool. These diagrams provide a valuable addition to the spatial maps of other global assessments, as they track the sources, uses, services and sinks of water resources. They facilitate comparison of different water services, and highlight trade-offs amongst them. For example, they reveal how increasing the supply of water resources to one service (crop production) can generate a reduction in provision of other water services (e.g., to ecosystem maintenance). The potential impacts of efficiency improvements in the use of water are also highlighted; for example, reduction in soil evaporation from crop production through better farming practices, or the results of improved treatment and re-use of return flows leading to reduction of delivery to final sinks. This paper also outlines the measures needed to ensure sustainable water resource use and supply for multiple competing services in the future, and emphasises that integrated management of land and water resources is essential to achieve this goal. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.