Electronic support for knowledge creation in a research institute

This paper focuses on the question how to build an electronic support environment for knowledge creation in a research institute (JAIST). In order to assess the importance of diverse conditions of scientific creativity, we performed a survey in JAIST, and extracted useful knowledge from the database of survey results. Following the analysis of the theory of academic processes of knowledge creation and the survey findings in JAIST, a computer-based integrated system is proposed. In the aspect of the system design, we postulate that an electronic support environment for academic creativity can be achieved through a seamless integration with Internet, Application Server, Middle Ware, Database and Data Warehouse. The paper addresses issues of knowledge representation in the Electronic Support System for academic research, testing and evaluation issues and conclusions. The research was supported by 21st COE (Center of Excellence) Program “Study of Scientific Knowledge Creation” of JAIST, funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT, Japan). The original version was presented at the conference of KSSS06. Hongao Ren is currently a PhD student at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, where he received a Monbukagakusho scholarship offered by the Japanese Government in 2004. He joined International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in April 2007 as a research scholar. He holds a master’s degree in systems engineering from the Institute of Systems Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China. His scientific interests are electronic support for knowledge creation, integrated system for scientific creativities, knowledge creativity models, knowledge engineering, semantic web, and text mining. Jing Tian is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Strategic Development of Science and Technology, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Ishikawa, Japan. She received a Ph.D. in Knowledge Science from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in 2006. Her research interest includes knowledge management, knowledge engineering, creativity support and system methodology. Yoshiteru Nakamori is a professor in School of Knowledge Science, JAIST. He received the B.S., M.S., and PhD degrees, all in applied mathematics and physics from Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, in 1974, 1976 and 1980. His current research interests are modelling and simulation for large-scale complex systems, system development for environmental policy-making support, and systems methodology based on Japanese intellectual tradition. Andrzej P. Wierzbicki specialized in automatic control and telecommunications, especially nonlinear dynamic systems, mathematical optimization and multiple criteria decision analysis and support; he works now on knowledge creation theories. He served (1991–1994) as the Chairman of the Commission of Applied Sciences of Republic of Poland, later (1996–2003) as the Director General of the Polish National Institute of Telecommunications; he also served in diverse roles in the management of academic research. He is a Research Professor at the Center for Strategic Development of Science and Technology, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923–1292, Japan and in National Institute of Telecommunications, Szachowa 1, 04-894 Warsaw, Poland.