<HEAD> <TITLE>"ASK - questions"</Title> </HEAD> <BODY> <A NAME="pgtop"></A> <A HREF="indexc.htm"><Img Src="flconts.gif" alt=""></A> <A HREF="index7.htm"><Img Src="fllarrow.gif" alt=""></A> <A HREF="index9.htm"><Img Src="flrarrow.gif" alt=""></A> <A HREF="#pgbot"><Img Src="flnote.gif" alt=""></A> <BR> <IMG BORDER=0 SRC="index8.gif" alt=""> <HR> <A NAME="pgbot"></A> <UL><LI>Another system of story deconstruction geared more toward indexing stories than constructing them is the ASK system developed by Roger Schank's group working at Northwestern University (Cleary & Bareiss 1996). <LI>The ASK system works by linking topics by a hierarchical set of questions based on an analysis of the reasons people move from one topic to another in a hypertext work. Each pair of link types represents two opposing directions you might want to move in the subject of the larger group. For example, context and specifics are opposing forces. <LI>The first two major groups of link types have to do mainly with comparing any group of topics, and do not require that the topics contain any particular knowledge about the world. <LI>If you need to <B>refocus</B>, you either want more context (zooming out) or more details (zooming in). <LI>If you need to <B>compare</B> topics, you either need to find similar topics (analogies or examples) or you need to find dissimilar topics (alternatives). <LI>The second two major groups of link types have to do with relationships between topics based on their meaning in the real world, not just in a simpler relation. <LI>If you need to explore a <B>causal </B>relationship, you either need to find topics that contain the cause of the current topic, or you need to find topics that contain something resulting from the current topic. <LI>If you want <B>advice</B> about the real world connected to the item you just read, you either need to find things you should do as a result (opportunities) or things you should avoid doing as a result (warnings). <LI>The Engines for Education project is a hypertext book about education that uses the ASK system to link topics. </UL> <HR> <A HREF="#pgtop"><Img Src="flpage.gif" alt=""></A> <FONT SIZE="-2">Published by Lotus® Freelance Graphics® </BODY>