Use of expertise ontologies in the knowledge engineering process

We describe an approach, supported by a tool called ASTREE, designed to automate the construction of a model of problem solving behaviour in cases where skeletal models cannot be reused. In ASTREE, such a construction is an identification of methods capable of achieving user specified tasks. The identification process is based on matching elements specified in the task to be achieved and elements in the expertise ontology that expresses conceptualizations of domain knowledge. We argue that a well defined expertise ontology provides strong constraints for the creation of a model of problem solving behaviour. The article focuses on the main techniques that ASTREE uses in the identification process.