EXPERT SYSTEMS FOR ANIMAL FEEDING MANAGEMENT. PART I: PRESENTATION ASPECTS

Abstract The two major components of an expert system, and computer packages in general, are the model and its structure, and the interface between the model and the user. Both are equally important in the success of a package. This work is a section of a wider study involving expert systems for feed management. Part I covers the development of a successful interface for expert systems and Part II covers the farmers' attitudes to the expert systems themselves. In Part I alternative forms of the interface were created and presented to both professionals and farmers for evaluation and use. Their responses were used to conclude on a number of interface design questions. A clear preference for data input through as few screens as possible using pick lists and a mouse is evident, as is the benefit from providing on-call pictures to visually depict alternatives where the user has a choice. A need for providing extra reading through references for explanations is also clear. Finally, the benefit obtainable from good systems is likely to depend on the users' personal attributes.