Inferring Pearls of Great Price in Relational Data

ABSTRACT:A primary challenge facing military data analysts (and the general populace) is data deluge, where the volume of data available at ones fingertips drowns human capability to leverage or exploit it all effectively. There exists a strong need to go beyond the collection of data, to the pinpointing of data that is valuable to them at the present moment in time. By considering value from a utilitarian perspective, the value of information is dynamic and many factors determine its relative usefulness. This project proposes to investigate these issues and bring more valuable information to the forefront of the analytical process. The proposed research and development targets several Air Force analysis operations units needs, and supporting their human assets with high-precision fusion and automated identification technology, including Pattern of Life development. A broad range of data types will be investigated and fused, including textual, relational, and imagery. A host of automation-assistive capabilities designed to identify information of value and bring it to the attention of the analyst will be developed, evaluated and improved. The project concludes with an integrated functional prototype of these capabilities that is deployed, evaluated and demonstrated to management in both unclassified and classified contexts.BENEFIT:Anticipated benefits of this projects success include human analysts improved capability to effectively leverage more and larger data sources in their work; improving human analysts situational awareness across larger and multiple simultaneous areas of interest; and improved analyst morale with the reduction of grunt work in their standard operations. Effectively, this work is expected to be a force multiplier for human analyst assets. Commercial application of this work is directly applicable to the law enforcement and security industries as well (as they have similar information needs) and serves as a stronger multiplier to agencies who lack a deep bench of trained analysts. Given the prime contractors existing nationwide reseller partner, these benefits are eminently possible to achieve.