A visual representation for knowledge structures

Knowledge-based systems often represent their knowledge as a network of interrelated units. Such networks are commonly presented to the user as a diagram of nodes connected by lines. These diagrams have provided a powerful visual metaphor for knowledge representation. However, their complexity can easily become unmanageable as the knowledge base (KB) grows. This paper describes an alternate visual representation for navigating knowledge structures, based on a virtual museum metaphor. This representation uses nested boxes rather than linked nodes to represent relations. The intricate structure of the knowledge base is conveyed by a combination of position, size, color, and font cues, MUE (Museum Unit Editor) was implemented using this representation to provide a graphic front end for the Cyc knowledge base.