Abstract: Accurate concept information and relationships between concepts are extracted from a figure even in a case where sufficient character string recognition accuracy cannot be obtained by image processing, or a case where lexical ambiguity remains because there are a plurality of meanings with the same spelling. After concepts and relationships between concepts appearing in a document referring to a figure and a document related or similar to the document are prepared, candidates for concepts and relationships between concepts are limited to those likely to appear in the figure by checking against the prepared concepts and relationships between concepts. Thus, a false recognition rate is lowered.

Abstract: Accurate concept information and relationships between concepts are extracted from a figure even in a case where sufficient character string recognition accuracy cannot be obtained by image processing, or a case where lexical ambiguity remains because there are a plurality of meanings with the same spelling. After concepts and relationships between concepts appearing in a document referring to a figure and a document related or similar to the document are prepared, candidates for concepts and relationships between concepts are limited to those likely to appear in the figure by checking against the prepared concepts and relationships between concepts. Thus, a false recognition rate is lowered.

Abstract: Similar concepts are deduced in consideration of relationships among concepts belonging to a plurality of categories. Concepts belonging to a plurality of categories are shown in the form of a graph in which concepts are represented by nodes and relationships between pairs of concepts are represented by edges. The number of crossings of edges linking pairs of concepts belonging to categories is reduced. Similar concepts are deduced multilaterally in consideration of the relationships between the pairs of concepts belonging to the categories.

Abstract: Data newly obtained on genes by experiments, data obtained from texts and data obtained through the Internet or the like are integrated to provide novel knowledge. Information on the association between terms such as a gene, a compound, a disease, gene functions and the like accumulated in a data storage system is used to reconstruct a network of terms connecting a first query and a second query designated by a first query input unit l so to display on a display device. Thereby, a term associating the first query and the second query is displayed. As a result, a user is provided with knowledge how the first query and the second query are associated.