To provide an authoring tool for supporting a manufacturing to construct an automated diagnosing system.
This authoring tool is provided with a factor editor interface (60), a countermeasure editor interface (90), and question editor interfaces (120, 140). Thus, it is possible for a manufacturing to arrange information related with factors in a factor data structure by using the factor editor interface (60). Also, it is possible for the manufacture to arrange information related with countermeasures to be facilitated in response to the factors in a countermeasure data structure by using the countermeasure editor interface (90). Then, it is possible for the manufacturer to arrange information related with questions to be asked to the users of products (209, 210) for helping them to identify the factors in a question data structure by using the question editor interfaces (120, 140).