ABSTRACT
Introduction
There are two major questions underlying any (human or computer supported) problem solving process: "what" is it the problem solver has to do, and "how" to accomplish this. Answering these questions requires information gathering. In the first case, we look for specifications, i.e. the description of constraints, features, and goals of the task at hand. In the second, for procedures or skills that are necessary to achieve the goals. Specifications play an important role in design and manufacturing, but also in communication. Skills are the prerequisit for executing or performing tasks. The purpose of the elicitation process is to tranfer or make explicit knowledge of "what" people have in their mind and "how" they perform tasks. Eliciting skills and specifications is fundemantal to human communication and learning. Moreover, knowledge elicitation or acquisition is a major bottleneck in (human or computer supported) problem solving.
