IRS Tax Map Electronic Research Tool David Brown Internal Revenue Service Media and Publications Division David Brown Internal Revenue Service Media and Publications Division

Project Timeline 2000 – Business need identified 2001 – Topic Maps prototype 2002 – Proposal to call site executives 2004 – Implementation at call sites in conjunction with IRS Probe and Response Guide – Published on IRS Tax Products CD-ROM and Small Business Resource Guide 2000 – Business need identified 2001 – Topic Maps prototype 2002 – Proposal to call site executives 2004 – Implementation at call sites in conjunction with IRS Probe and Response Guide – Published on IRS Tax Products CD-ROM and Small Business Resource Guide

What is Tax Map? Electronic Research tool - Primary audience IRS telephone tax law assistors Network navigational model - Enables research by subject and discovery Contains forms and instructions, publications, tax law faq, and Tele-tax topics Builds on XML/SGML work we have done Electronic Research tool - Primary audience IRS telephone tax law assistors Network navigational model - Enables research by subject and discovery Contains forms and instructions, publications, tax law faq, and Tele-tax topics Builds on XML/SGML work we have done

What is Tax Map? Created using both human knowledge and automated processing Web representation of a knowledge base conforming to Topic Maps international standard (ISO/IEC 13250) Contractor produced using automated Topic Maps international standard software and processes Created using both human knowledge and automated processing Web representation of a knowledge base conforming to Topic Maps international standard (ISO/IEC 13250) Contractor produced using automated Topic Maps international standard software and processes

Why Topic Maps? Separate semantic layer - not burden authors Enables synthesis of human knowledge and automated processing Capture knowledge from tax experts Doesn’t require one vocabulary Separate semantic layer - not burden authors Enables synthesis of human knowledge and automated processing Capture knowledge from tax experts Doesn’t require one vocabulary

Why Topic Maps? Scalable and matures with time Reusable year to year Management understanding Scalable and matures with time Reusable year to year Management understanding

Inputs to Topic Map Process Headers from publications Form and publication titles Keywords from FAQ (controlled vocabulary) Rules for automated merging/relations Human created knowledge map Headers from publications Form and publication titles Keywords from FAQ (controlled vocabulary) Rules for automated merging/relations Human created knowledge map

Preprocessing Slicing Link Tables Extracting Topic Map Information Topic names Occurrences Roles Merging & Associating Merging by name Applying rules Creating the Topic Map XTM version Internal storage Formatting Navigable view HTML docs Indexes Topic Screens Tables of contents IRS Documents IRS Topic Map Model IRS Merging Specification IRS Style sheets IRS XTM Topic Map IRS Specific Scripts Topic Map Loom Standard Application Publications(SGML) FAQs (XML) Teletax topics(XML) Publications (HTML) FAQs (HTML) Tele-tax topics (HTML) Indexes, TOCs and Topic Screens (HTML) ©2003, Michel Biezunski, Coolheads Consulting Configuration Files wrt document types Configuration Files wrt document types Merge Spec defined by IRS experts XTM spec. conforming To ISO/IEC 13250:2002 FormPub Database

Demo

Value added Tax Map Key entry points or hubs to begin search Fast learning curve - similar to using an index Contains topics related by tax experts Topic page - single entry point for subject Creation of a tax law ontology Accessibility Key entry points or hubs to begin search Fast learning curve - similar to using an index Contains topics related by tax experts Topic page - single entry point for subject Creation of a tax law ontology Accessibility

Probe and Response Guide

Maintenance of Tax Map Workshops with Tax Experts Maintenance of human knowledge file Workshops with Tax Experts Maintenance of human knowledge file