Choosing a Reasoning Style for a Knowledge-Based System Lessons from Supporting a Help Desk

In this paper, we present two broad styles of KBS reasoner: those based primarily on some general, explicit model of the knowledge of the domain (whether that model be expressed by heuristic rules or by a deep model of structure and function), which we term domain model-based reasoners; and those based primarily on a set of examples of events in the domain, which we term example-based reasoners (EBR), of which case-based reasoners are a subset. The aim of this paper is to guide developers in considering the trade-offs between these different styles of reasoning. We believe that this cannot be done in general, but may be possible for specific domains. Thus, the paper provides an example analysis of the usefulness of these reasoning styles. We assess the suitability of these styles against a series of requirements which we have identified that KBSs must fulfil if they are to support help desk operations. We conclude that EBR systems are more likely to meet those requirements (the analysis draws on our earlier work in Bridge & Dearden, 1992).