We are formulating design guidelines for a knowledge system that is to provide answers to natural language queries in context. A query that starts out being very vague is to be sharpened with the assistance of the system. Also, the response to a query is more meaningful when presented in context.
Essential context associates the response to a query with a time and place.
Reference context provides reference values that help the user determine whether the response to a fuzzy query is true or false. Source context relates to the dependability of the response.