Informatics and Applications

2025, Volume 19, Issue 3, pp 82-89

ACKOFF'S HIERARCHY AND TASKS OF KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY IN TEXTS

I. M. Zatsman

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to describe information models of the processes of discovering in texts linguistic knowledge about the studied language units based on the Ackoffs hierarchy proposed by him in 1989. The components of the hierarchy considered in the paper are data, information, and knowledge. Ackoffs principal outcome consists in dividing the semantic content of words denoting the components of the hierarchy and a general formulation of the problem of describing component transformations. Ackoffs description of this problem has generated discussions for decades. At the same time, the problem of describing the component transformations still remains unsolved. Without claiming to solve this problem in general, the paper proposes an approach to solving its particular cases for the subject domain of knowledge discovery in texts based on detailing the semantic content of the words "data," "information," and "knowledge." Based on the proposed approach, the paper describes two models of knowledge discovery in texts, each of which specifies a list of transformations of the detailed components of Ackoffs hierarchy. The first model became the basis for designing technologies without taking into account unsuccessful outcomes of knowledge discovery in texts and the second model - for designing technologies taking them into account. The experiments conducted showed that the designed technologies using supracorpora databases provide for discovering in texts already known and new linguistic knowledge from texts as well as formation of new classifications.

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