Self-associated concept mapping for representation, elicitation and inference of knowledge

Concept maps have been widely put to educational uses. They possess a number of appealing features which make them a promising tool for teaching, learning, evaluation, and curriculum planning. This paper presents self-associated concept mapping (SACM) which extends the use of concept mapping by proposing the idea of self-construction and automatic problem solving to traditional concept maps. The SACM can be automatically constructed and dynamic updated. A Constrained Fuzzy Spreading Activation (CFSA) model is proposed to SACM for supporting rapid and automatic decisions. With the successful development of the SACM, the capability of Knowledge-based systems (KBS) can be enhanced. The concept and operational feasibility of the SACM is realized through a case study in a consultancy business. The theoretical results are found to agree well with the experimental results. 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.