Chairperson: María Jesús Taboada iglesias. Co-Chair: Rafael Martínez Tomás.

An Expert System (ES) is a computer program that uses the knowledge and analytical skills (heuristic) of one or more human experts to infer solutions to problems in a particular discipline. In the past, the primary aim of ES was to replace human experts by very complex and huge computer programs. Nowadays, the exponential increase in the volume, complexity and diversification of data requires combining different artificial intelligence techniques to support data access, analysis and exploitation. The representation and reasoning capabilities provided by ES are helping in tasks related to information access, interpretation and management. Within this new context, a suitable combination with other approaches will be to the advantage of a successful application of ES in traditional applications domains but in new domains too. This other approaches include information systems, standard terminologies, natural language processing and those based on data-guided reasoning (case-based reasoning, neural networks, genetic algorithms, data mining and others). This special issue will focus on illustrative and detailed information about the current applications of expert systems and the combination with other relevant approaches. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Knowledge-based information systems
• Knowledge-based information interpretation and analysis
• Knowledge-based information and resource annotating
• Knowledge discovery
• Knowledge-based information retrieval
• Knowledge management
• Semantic interoperability
• New application domains of decision support systems