Web service for intelligent retrieval of normative information

The general objective of our research work is to develop an electronic representation of technical standards that can be used for intelligent retrieval of normative information. This representation should be based on a flexible and reusable schema for indexing and structuring normative knowledge contents. For this purpose, we use the same components that have been proposed as key instruments in building the Semantic Web: ontologies, semantic annotation languages, intelligent agents and other Web applications. The paper outlines our approach to intelligent retrieval of normative information by describing the principles on which it is based. As an application of this approach, a prototype Web tool for consulting any normative document represented according to the schema has been developed. We briefly present the analysis, design and implementation of the tool, and illustrate its use by query examples over the European Standard EN 81-1:1998: Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Part 1: Electric lifts.