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Fuzzy User Modelling and Information Retrieval from the World Wide Web

Fuzzy User Modelling and Information Retrieval from the World Wide Web. Bob John Centre for Computational Intelligence De Montfort University Leicester, UK. Outline. Why Fuzzy User Modelling? The outline approach Case Study 1 Case Study 2 Conclusion. Fuzziness and the WWW.

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Fuzzy User Modelling and Information Retrieval from the World Wide Web

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  1. Fuzzy User Modelling and Information Retrieval from the World Wide Web Bob John Centre for Computational Intelligence De Montfort University Leicester, UK

  2. Outline • Why Fuzzy User Modelling? • The outline approach • Case Study 1 • Case Study 2 • Conclusion BISC 2003

  3. Fuzziness and the WWW • WWW constantly changing • WWW effectively ‘unknowable’ • Information quality varied • Needs of users varied and imprecise • Inference on needs imprecise BISC 2003

  4. “the importance of the interface between data emanating from the physical world and the categories with which human beings are most comfortable in comprehending and using information” Dubois (1997) BISC 2003

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  8. Why User Modelling? • Sophisticated search tools • BUT… • Do not capture information needs of the users • Do not know users interests • No knowledge about e.g. skill in using search engine • No understanding of what is out there BISC 2003

  9. Our approach • Extensive Fuzzy IR Research • Need to ‘know’ about the database • Or.. Can fuzzify the query BISC 2003

  10. Our approach BISC 2003

  11. Case Study 1 – Fuzzy Modelling Query Assistant • Build an initial model of the user from a questionnaire • Semantic one allows for vagueness in the questionnaire • Semantic two represents web users as an overlapping series of default models rendered individual by questions BISC 2003

  12. The User • Model One. WWW knowledge and experience • Model Two. Domain Knowledge and experience (problem at this point – we need to know the domain) • Models combined using a knowledge base BISC 2003

  13. Refining the query • Thesaurus based approach • Ad hoc • Contracts the query • Expands the query BISC 2003

  14. User Study Results • Control Group • 39 first year undergraduates • Ad Hoc Group • 75 mixed (0lder 49 > 25) • Varied knowledge of the domain (AI) • Wide spread of use of WWW BISC 2003

  15. Asked to submit a query from a defined set of terms and assess the results from Yahoo • Similarly for refined query • Scored best two and worst two from top ten of each BISC 2003

  16. Statistical analysis showed improvement In ‘best’ hits In top ten • Limitations • Restricted domain • Does not learn about the changes in user knowledge and experience BISC 2003

  17. Case Study 2 – the Virtual Librarian • European funded project • Many partners – Universities, Parliaments, Companies • Citizens of Europe having access to information BISC 2003

  18. ELVIL • The European Legislative Virtual Library (ELVIL) is an internet-based portal of information sources on European law and politics (http://elvil.sub.su.se). BISC 2003

  19. ELVIL Provides software gateways with a uniform WWW-interface to: • national and European parliamentary databases; • a searchable index to other sources of legal and political information on the WWW, and • collections of learning resources on European law and politics. BISC 2003

  20. Our Task To apply fuzzy user modelling to improve the usability of ELVIL since.. Wide range of • information available • potential users BISC 2003

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  25. The Virtual Librarian • Employs fuzzy user modelling • Gathers information about individual users • preferences • experience • requirements • Specify a broad category • Supply a specific search BISC 2003

  26. The VL responds to “User Type” • User type defined as the attribute that associates with an information category and geographical area • Fuzzy User Model Updated by user activity • Implemented in Java and fully integrated into ELVIL BISC 2003

  27. VIRTUAL LIBRARIAN Rules for appropriate databases and queries BISC 2003

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  33. Conclusion • Fuzzy User Modelling seems to have some potential • The FMQA proved the concept • The Virtual Librarian uses fuzzy user modelling to assist the search process in ELVIL BISC 2003

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