A Jigsaw-Based End-User Tool for the Development of Ontology-Based Knowledge Bases

Knowledge bases are used to store and centralize information on certain topics in a domain. Using a well-structured and machine-readable format is a prerequisite for any AI-based processing or reasoning. The use of semantic technologies (e.g., RDF, OWL) has the advantage that it allows to define the semantics of the information and supports advanced querying. However, using such technologies is a challenging task for subject matter experts from a domain such as life science who are, in general, not trained for this. This means that they need to rely on semantic technology experts to create their knowledge bases. However, these experts are usually IT-experts and they are, in turn, not trained in the subject matter, while knowledge of the domain is essential for the construction of a high-quality knowledge base. In this paper, we present an end-user development (EUD) tool that supports subject matter experts in the construction of ontology–based knowledge bases. The tool is using the jigsaw metaphor for hiding the technicalities of the semantic technology, as well as to guide the users in the process of creating a knowledge base. The approach and the tool is demonstrated for building a knowledge base in the toxicology domain. The tool has been evaluated by means of a preliminary user study with nine subject matter experts from this domain. All participants state that with a little practice they could become productive with our tool and actually use it to represent and manage their knowledge. The results of the evaluation resulted in valuable suggestions for improving the tool and highlighted the importance of well adapting the terminology to the target audience.