The server processes the data and generates an HTML document that it returns to the browser resulting in the screen shown in Figure 4 eliciting a construct from a triad of elements. The server generates the screen shown in Figure 5 which places a popup menu rating scale alongside each element enabling the user to rate each one along the new construct. She is also able to change the terms used if they seem inappropriate in the context of all the elements, and to change the ratings of the already entered elements if appropriate. This draws the user's attention to matching constructs, suggesting a new element be added to break the match, to matching elements suggesting a new construct be added to break the match, and also offers the opportunity to elicit another construct from a triad of elements. The elements and constructs are listed in selection boxes allowing selected items to be deleted and edited, new items to be added, matches to be shown, and HTML annotation to be added to elements.
Further buttons enable the data elicited to be saved or to be displayed or analyzed in various ways.
The knowledge acquisition server is designed to operate on a stateless basis in which data is not normally stored at the server unless it is specifically uploaded. This is achieved through the server storing all the grid data in hidden fields in the HTML document which do not display but are returned to the server along with the entered data. The results of analysis are usually presented as graphic output. This is generated at the server, converted to GIF format and returned to the client where it can be examined and saved if required. Once knowledge acquisition tools are available on the web it becomes possible to support distributed knowledge acquisition in which experts and knowledge engineers at different sites collaborate in developing a knowledge-based system.