Knowledge representation for missing persons investigations

Pages138-150
Published date13 March 2017
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JSIT-08-2016-0051
Date13 March 2017
AuthorMark Taylor,Denis Reilly
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management,Information systems,Information & communications technology
Knowledge representation for
missing persons investigations
Mark Taylor and Denis Reilly
Department of Computer Science, Liverpool John Moores University,
Liverpool, UK
Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to present the applicationof situation calculus for knowledge representation in
missingpersons investigations.
Design/methodology/approach The development of a knowledge representation model for the
missing persons investigationprocess based upon situation calculus, with a demonstration of the use of the
model for a missingpersons example case.
Findings Situation calculus is valuablefor knowledge representation for missing persons investigations,
as such investigations have state changesover time, and due to the complexity of the differing investigation
activities applicable to different situations, can be difcult to represent using simpler approaches such as
tables or owcharts.
Research limitations/implications Situation calculus modellingfor missing persons investigations
adds formalism to the process beyond that which can be afforded by the current use of text, tables or
owcharts.The additional formalism is useful in dealingwith the uncertainty present in such investigations.
Practical implications The implications are a simplication of the application of the current police
guidelines, and thoroughness in the application of such guidelines for missing persons investigations via
situationcalculus modelling.
Social implications This paper supports the management of missing person investigations, by using
the most critical variablesin a missing persons investigation to determine relevant investigationand search
activitiesapplicable to the circumstances of a given case.
Originality/value The novelty of the knowledge representationapproach is the application of situation
calculusvia state and action vectors and a matrix of uentsto the process of missing persons investigations.
Keywords Investigation, Representation, Knowledge, Missing, Person
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Situation calculusallows a dynamic system to be modeled through a series of situations that
result from various actions beingperformed within the system. A situation can represent a
history of the occurrence of given actions. In this paper, we examine the use of situation
calculus to mathematically describe the situations resulting from performing given actions
to model the missing persons investigation process used in the UK, and in particular to
model the actions that constitute the investigation and search aspects of a missing person
investigation basedupon the circumstances of a given missing persons case. The motivation
and justication for using situation calculus is that given all the variables (such as age,
medical conditions and risk levels) involved in a missing persons case, the current simpler
approaches such as tables or owcharts can fail to fully capture the complex and time-
The authors acknowledge the advice and guidance provided by police services within the north west
of England.
JSIT
19,1/2
138
Received12 August 2016
Revised10 April 2017
23June 2017
Accepted5 August 2017
Journalof Systems and
InformationTechnology
Vol.19 No. 1/2, 2017
pp. 138-150
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1328-7265
DOI 10.1108/JSIT-08-2016-0051
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1328-7265.htm

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