International Business Machines Corporation

Robert C Johnson, Jr

David R Schwartz

Scott Harlan Isensee

David Deidou Taieb

Cale R Vardy

Robert Leslie Yates

Michael D Whitley

Scott M Lewis

Carolyn A Brown

David C Vogele

Mechanisms are provided, in association with a question and answer system, for generating answers to an input question. An input question is received and processed to generate at least one query. The at least one query is applied to the corpus to generate a set of candidate answers and corresponding selections of evidence portions of the corpus of information providing evidence in support of the at least one candidate answer being a correct answer for the input question. A graphical user interface (GUI) is output comprising a first GUI sub-section comprising the set of candidate answers, and a second GUI sub-section comprising the evidence portions of the corpus. User input modifying at least one of set of candidate answers or the evidence portions of the corpus of information is received via the GUI and an operation of the data processing system is adjusted based on the user input.

User collaboration for answer generation in question and answer system

Mechanisms are provided for modifying an operation of a question answering (QA) system. An input question is received and processed to generate at least one query to be applied to a corpus of information. The at least one query is applied to the corpus of information to generate candidate answers to the input question from which a final answer is selected for output. A training engine modifies, using a machine learning technique that compares the final answer to a known correct answer for the input question, at least one of logic or configuration parameters of the QA system for at least one of the processing of the input question to generate the at least one query, applying of the at least one query to the corpus of information to generate the candidate answers, or the selecting of the final answer from the candidate answers.

Results of question and answer systems

Mechanisms are provided for answering questions about at least one previous execution of a question answering (QA) system on a previous input question. An input question is received that is directed to a previous execution of a QA system with regard to a previous input question. The input question is processed to generate at least one query for application to a corpus of information, which comprises information about the QA system and the previous execution of the QA system on the previous input question. The at least one query is applied to the corpus of information to generate candidate answers to the input question which are ranked according to confidence measure values associated with the candidate answers. A final answer for the input question is output based on the ranking of the candidate answers.

A system, method and program product for creating a UML model of a user interface environment, such as a website. A UML design system is disclosed that includes: a system for defining use cases within the UML model; a system for associating an affinity representing a user-perceived relationship between use cases within the UML model; and a system for assigning a weight to the affinity within the UML model.

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Pescadero, CA, United States of America

Robert C Johnson, Jr