Elicit, version 1.0

A Web-based tool for eliciting beta-distributed priors from
subject-matter experts about nodes and edges of a network.

Written by Stephen R. Haptonstahl [srh@haptonstahl.org]

Research by:
  John Freeman [freeman@umn.edu]
  Jeff Gill [jgill@wustl.edu]
  Stephen R. Haptonstahl [srh@haptonstahl.org]
  Aaron Rapport [rapp0030@umn.edu]


__CONFIGURATION__

0. Before starting, get a MySQL database from your administrator
or create one yourself. It is good practice, although not necessary,
to have a separate database for Elicit. You should have the
following information before proceeding:
 - host name (name of the server, like db.school.edu)
 - database name
 - user name
 - password

1. Unzip the downloaded file into a folder in on your Web site.
If your document root is /var/www/html, then the following will
work:

  cd /var/www/html
  tar -xzvf /path/to/elicit_1.0.tar.gz
  cd elicit

2. Ensure that the file setting.php is writable by the Web server.
Continuing the example, you can do this with

  chmod 666 /var/www/html/elicit/settings.php

3. Open a Web browser to /elicit/configure.php on your server.
In the example above, go to:

  http://myhost.school.edu/elicit/configure.php

4. Follow the instructions on the page. The config script will
create the necessary tables in the database you specify. All table
names will be preceded by a prefix that you specify. For example,
if you use the default prefix 'elicit_' then the following tables
will be created:
 - elicit_edges
 - elicit_edgetypes
 - elicit_experts
 - elicit_nodes
 - elicit_times

You have the option of have sample data in the tables. This is a
very good idea the first time you install Elicit: this will let
you see how edgetypes and nodes appear in to users of the software.

__SETITNG UP YOUR OWN COLLECTION: NODES AND EDGETYPES__

Nodes

Fill in the 'first', 'last', and 'display' fields. The 'display'
field needs to be filled, generally with the first and last name
of the node. The fields 'details' and 'pic' are not currently
used by Elicit.

Edgetypes

These are yes-or-no statements that are the 'questions' that users
will 'answer' by indicating how likely they think the statement is
true.

Both 'directed' and 'link' fields should be 0. Elicit sorts nodes
on the 'name' field, so the first word of 'name' should be be how
users might look for this attribute.

There are three kinds of edgetypes:

  node attribute: Describes a single node, like "is married". The
    'pattern' and 'qpattern' fields should only refer to [1].
    (details below)

  non-directed edge: Describes a symmetric relationship, like
    "are siblings". The 'pattern' and 'qpattern' fields should refer
    to both [1] and [2]. (details below)

  directed edge: Describes an asymmetric relationship, like "is the
    father of". The 'pattern' and 'qpattern' fields should refer
    to both [1] and [2]. (details below)

'pattern' and 'qpattern'

The fields 'pattern' and 'qpattern' are templates that should put the
yes-or-no statement in sentence or question format, respectively.
Elicit adds the names of the nodes by replacing [1] and [2] with
the value of 'display' in the nodes table.

edgetype examples

  "node attribute"
  name: ethnically Caucasian
  pattern: [1] is ethnically Caucasian.
  qpattern: Is [1] ethnically Caucasian?

  "non-directed edge"
  name: college (went to same)
  pattern: [1] went to the same college/university as [2].
  qpattern: Did [1] go to the same college/university as [2]?

  "directed edge"
  name: worked for
  pattern: [1] worked for [2].
  qpattern: Has [1] worked for [2]?


__ADDING USERS: EXPERTS__

The only required fields are 'userid' and 'pw' (password). The fields
'first', 'last', and 'email' are not currently used by Elicit.