Design information retrieval: a thesauri-based approach for reuse of informal design information

Authors:
Maria C. Yang;William H. Wood, III;Mark R. Cutkosky
Affiliations:
University of Southern California, Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 3715 McClintock Avenue, GER 201, 90089, Los Angeles, CA , USA;University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1000 Hilltop Circle, 21250, Baltimore, CA , USA;Stanford University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Terman 523, 1000 Hilltop Circle, 94305, Stanford, CA , USA
Venue:
Engineering with Computers
Year:
2005

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Abstract

Information is integral to the engineering design process, and gaining access to design knowledge is critical to effective design decision-making. This paper considers the indexing and retrieval of informal, unstructured information captured from electronic design logbooks. One of the key observations of informal design information is its evolutionary nature over time. While this characteristic makes informal information a rich source for reuse, it also makes it difficult to employ traditional information retrieval (IR) approaches. The work described in this paper is based on a framework developed specifically for the information handling requirements of designers. This manual method for indexing information is adapted to meet the evolutionary nature of design through the development of thesauri for design context. Several approaches to building thesauri are examined, including manual and automated methods. It is found that manual methods provide a high level of IR performance, but also have high overhead requirements. Machine methods, however, may provide a viable, low overhead alternative.