Literature-based discovery (LBD), also called literature-related discovery (LRD) is a form of knowledge extraction and automated hypothesis generation that uses papers and other academic publications (the "literature") to find new relationships between existing knowledge (the "discovery"). Literature-based discovery aims to discover new knowledge by connecting information which have been explicitly stated in literature to deduce connections which have not been explicitly stated.[1]
LBD can help researchers to quickly discover and explore hypotheses as well as gain information on relevant advances inside and outside of their niches and increase interdisciplinary information sharing.[1]
The most basic and widespread type of LBD is called the ABC paradigm because it centers around three concepts called A, B and C.[2][3][4] It states that if there is a connection between A and B and one between B and C, then there is one between A and C which, if not explicitly stated, is yet to be explored.[1]
^Smalheiser, Neil R; Swanson, Don R (November 1998). "Using Arrowsmith: a computer-assisted approach to formulating and assessing scientific hypotheses". Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. 57 (3): 149–153. doi:10.1016/s0169-2607(98)00033-9. ISSN0169-2607. PMID9822851.
^Gordon, Michael D.; Lindsay, Robert K. (February 1996). "Toward discovery support systems: A replication, re-examination, and extension of Swanson's work on literature-based discovery of a connection between Raynaud's and fish oil". Journal of the American Society for Information Science. 47 (2): 116–128. doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-4571(199602)47:2<116::aid-asi3>3.0.co;2-1. ISSN0002-8231.