Overview of current practice and research initiatives for the verification and validation of KBS

Abstract

Based on a survey of recent literature, this report aims to highlight the issues associated with the verification and validation of knowledge based systems. The confusion arising from the lack of clear terminology is considered, along with some of the characteristics of knowledge based systems that cause particular difficulties for verification and validation. The various approaches that can be adopted to address these difficulties are discussed, followed by a survey of recent research initiatives. The author concludes that many of the difficulties associated with the verification and validation of knowledge based systems are a feature of the complexity of the system being built and the manner of its development rather than of the specific technology chosen to implement it.