Picture perfect - Visualisation techniques for case-based reasoning

Case-based reasoning systems solve new problems by retrieving and adapting the solutions to similar previously solved problems. The success and performance of any case-based reasoning system depends critically on its repository of prior problem solving experiences, the cases in its case-base. It is perhaps surprising then that the case-based reasoning community has only recently begun to investigate new ways of intelligently supporting the authoring (and on-going maintenance) of case-bases. In this paper we describe and evaluate a technique for visualising the cases in a case-base. We argue that such techniques have a vital role to play in helping authors to understand the structure of an evolving case-base and so improve the efficiency of the authoring process and the quality of the resulting case-bases.