Tacit and Explicit Understanding

This was my doctoral dissertation in computer science at the University of Colorado. It was entitled: “Interpretation in Design: The Problem of Tacit and Explicit Understanding in Computer Support of Cooperative Design” and was defended on August 5, 1993.

The dissertation explored the implications of the theory of tacit knowledge for the problem of computer capture of design rationale. It discussed a software system for design by teams of NASA designers. The computer environment captured design ideas in a flexible system of professional perspectives. This research led to explorations after graduation in prototyping collaboration software incorporating mechanisms to support perspectives and negotiation.