|
ALEX was borne from the question 'How do I find out about things that I am interested in but don't know about?'
This is similar to the technology transfer question 'What else can this be used for?' |
|
At it's core ALEX has been designed to create a relational index. This index is trans lingual.
This means it provides a bridge between various technologies. This points to the issue of technologies embodying separate
languages. |
|
Relational indexes are prone to local maximum problems. One of the design features of ALEX is to compensate
for this tendency which occur in purely automatic systems. This system also manages to side step the problem of creating a
culture centric index. |
| ALEX has been design primarily for flexibility. This provides the serious researcher with a powerful tool to create sophisticated, repeatable searches. |