Abstract: An apparatus, computer-readable medium and method for use in association with case-based reasoning and the like utilize a novel decision tree data structure that incorporates a search criterion in association with each test answer to a test criterion defined within a decision node, for use in selecting cases from a search space that match the associated test answer to the test criterion. As such, rather than storing identifiers to the actual cases in a case library, or search space, within a decision tree data structure, search criteria are used to provide the mechanism by which those cases that represent most likely best matches can be dynamically selected.