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SASI Project

Goal: Develop a computer-based system to help an analyst (researcher, scholar) collect, structure, and interpret information ("idea processing") and document the results (word processing).

Early emphasis: Argumentation structures, knowledge representation, knowledge encoding, and retrieval.

Current metaphor: Electronic notetaking — NoteCards.

Themes:
—allow easy, informal user entry
—support movement from informal to formal structures
—integrate new tools into the environment
—evolve designs through use and experimentation





Tom Moran / 2 August 1984

PSA Project Players
(PA only)

Tom Morandesign, nag

Frank Halaszdesign, implementation

Ken Allensurrogate analyst

Terri Doughtydocumentation

Lissa Montyuser and task analysis

Randy Triggfrank halasz

(Art Farley)argumentation analysis

Basic concepts in the NoteCards system

NoteFile (database)

NoteCards
—text
—sketch
—graph

FileBoxes

Pointers
pointer icons

Browsers

First uses of NoteCards

Nato Missiles analysis (Allen)

Goal analysis of FIP (Moran, Jordan)

NoteCards support (Halasz)

Thesis notes (Monty)

AI-List management (Shrager)

Some proposed uses:

NoteCards documentation
Xerox organization chart
ISL information
Copier brainstorming discussion
Lisp programming documentation
Argumentation analysis

Tasks and Strategy

Explore New Functionality

New and Improved Facilities

Interface Issues

Empirical Studies

Implementation Strategy

Functionality

Integration of electronic mail
Semi-automatic indexing
Database-style querying
Displays to facilitate browsing
(graphs, outlines, tabletops)
Tools for idea organization (spatial layout)
Argumentation epistemology and facilities
Automatic inference
(truth maintenance, rule-based structuring)
Document preparation (compilation from outlines)
Community sharing of notefiles

Facilities

New card types
More powerful pointers
Multiple Notefiles
Forms and templates
Hardcopy displays
Base underlying structures in Loops

Interface

Provide programmer’s interface

Make interface tailorable

Structured vs "free-form" interaction

Support agenda activities

Experiment with multi-window management

Empirical Studies

Observe actual uses and usability

Attempt various uses of system

Psychological characterization of task

Study surrogate analyst

Analyst feedback

Implementation Strategy

Notecards 1.n(bug fixes and enhancements)

Notecards 2(new structural basis and
major new functionalities)