---
title: "Tailoring Explanations for the User"
authors:
  - "Kathleen R. McKeown"
  - "Myron Wish"
  - "Kevin Matthews"
doi: ""
url: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1985/157"
pdf: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1985/0157.pdf"
venue: "Proceedings of the Ninth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence"
year: 1985
pages: "794-797"
track: "Natural Language"
keywords:
---

# Tailoring Explanations for the User

Kathleen R. McKeown, Myron Wish, Kevin Matthews

*Proceedings of the Ninth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence*, pages 794-797.

## Abstract

In order for an . expert system to provide the most effect1ve explanat10ns, 1t sliould be al:ile to tailor 1ts responses to the concerns of the user. One way in wh1ch explanatJons may be ta!lored Js by point of v1ew . A method JS presented for representing the knowledg.e to support different points oT view in the current domain . In addition, we present a method for determmmg the pomt of v1ew to take by mferring the user's goal withm a brief discourse segment. The advising system 's response to the derived goal depends on the strength of its . belief in the inference for which a method of determmat10n Js also prov1ded This information enables the system to dec1de what answer to give to a q_uestion, which kind of justification is rele vant , and when to provide it . Some details of the current implementation are included.