HYPERMEDIA, INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONS: A RESEARCH AGENDA

Although hypermedia systems are becoming more sophisticated and readily available as of thee shelf products, there are few hypermedia applications within business and industrial organizations. This paper argues that this phenomena is rooted in the concept of hypermedia applications as standalone programs. Larger acceptance of hypermedia within organizations will occur once this technology is better integrated with other organizational systems and applied to carefully selected tasks. The paper identifies three areas for research in this context: the tasks perspective, which deals with selecting tasks for which to develop hypermedia applications, the knowledge perspective, which deals with representing and managing the knowledge processed by organizations, and the integration perspective, which deals with technical issues in software integration. This paper suggests that solutions to the problems presented will prompt the acceptance of hypermedia technology within organizations.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

HYPERMEDIA, INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONS: A RESEARCH AGENDA

Although hypermedia systems are becoming more sophisticated and readily available as of thee shelf products, there are few hypermedia applications within business and industrial organizations. This paper argues that this phenomena is rooted in the concept of hypermedia applications as standalone programs. Larger acceptance of hypermedia within organizations will occur once this technology is better integrated with other organizational systems and applied to carefully selected tasks. The paper identifies three areas for research in this context: the tasks perspective, which deals with selecting tasks for which to develop hypermedia applications, the knowledge perspective, which deals with representing and managing the knowledge processed by organizations, and the integration perspective, which deals with technical issues in software integration. This paper suggests that solutions to the problems presented will prompt the acceptance of hypermedia technology within organizations.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

Application of machine learning algorithms in adaptive web-based information systems

Hypertext users often face the difficulty of identifying pages of .information most relevant to their current goals or interests, and are forced to wade through irrelevant pages, even though they know precisely what they are looking for. In order to address this issue, this research has investigated the Technical feasibility and also the utility of applying machine learning algorithms to generate personalised adaptation on the basis of browsing history in hypertext. A Web-based information system called MLTutor has been developed to determine the viability of this approach. The MLTutor has been implemented,tested, and evaluated. The design of MLTutor aims to remove the need for pre-defined user profiles and replace them with a dynamic user profile building scheme in order to provide individual adaptation. This is achieved by a combination o f conceptual clustering and inductive machine learning algorithms. This integration of two machine learning algorithms is a novel approach in the field of machine learning. In the initial prototype of MLTutor, a simple attribute based conceptual clustering algorithm and the ID3 algorithm were implemented. An assessment of the initial prototype highlighted the need for an in-depth investigation into the machine learning component of the prototype. This investigation led to the development of a multiple decision learning algorithm named SG-1 and a scheme for attribute encoding within the system. In order to assess these enhancements a comparative study was conducted with four adaptive variants of MLTutor along with the non-adaptive control. The adaptive variants were developed to allow alternative approaches within the machine learning component of the system to be compared. Two of the variants applied the clustering algorithm dynamically and used two different Cluster selection strategies. These strategies were based on the last page visited and a weighting of recently visited pages. The other adaptive variants used pre-clustered data with the same cluster selection strategies. The comparative evaluation undertaken on the variants used a number of established evaluation criteria and also introduced an original cross analysis scheme to determine how the adaptive component of MLTutor was utilised to complete a set of tasks. This cross analysis scheme highlights a number of weaknesses related to the evaluation methods commonly used in the field of adaptive hypermedia. The results have also highlighted a technical limitation with the particular clustering algorithm employed, specifically the generation of a heterogeneous cluster that results in poor suggestions in some circumstances. The results of the evaluation show that the MLTutor is a functional and robust system. Although the utility of using machine learning algorithms to analyse browsing activity in a hypertext system is unproven, the technical feasibility has been established

HIPPO -- an adaptive open hyptertext system

The hypertext paradigm offers a powerful way of modelling complex knowledge structures. Information can be arranged into networks, and connected using hypertext links. This has led to the development of more open hypertext design, which allow hypertext services to be integrated seamlessly into the user's environment. Recent research has also seen the emergence of adaptive hypertext, which uses feedback from the user to modify objects in the hypertext. The research presented in this thesis describes the HIPPO hypertext model which combines many of the ideas in open hypertext research, with existing work on adaptive hypertext systems. The idea of fuzzy anchors are introduced which allow authors to express the uncertainty and vagueness which is inherent in a hypertext anchor. Fuzzy anchors use partial truth values which allow authors to define a "degree of membership" for anchors. Anchors no longer have fixed, discrete boundaries, but have more in common with contour lines used in map design. These fuzzy anchors are used as the basis for an adaptive model, so that anchors can be modified in response to user actions. The HIPPO linking model introduces linkbase trees which combine link collections into inheritance hierarchies. These are used to construct reusable inheritance trees, which allow authors to reuse and build on existing link collections. An adaptive model is also presented to modify these linkbase hierarchies. Finally, the HIPPO system is re-implemented using a widely distributed architecture. This distributed model implements a hypertext system as a collection of lightweight, distributed services. The benefits of this distributed hypertext model are discussed, and an adaptive model is then suggested

HIPPO -- an adaptive open hyptertext system

The hypertext paradigm offers a powerful way of modelling complex knowledge structures. Information can be arranged into networks, and connected using hypertext links. This has led to the development of more open hypertext design, which allow hypertext services to be integrated seamlessly into the user's environment. Recent research has also seen the emergence of adaptive hypertext, which uses feedback from the user to modify objects in the hypertext. The research presented in this thesis describes the HIPPO hypertext model which combines many of the ideas in open hypertext research, with existing work on adaptive hypertext systems. The idea of fuzzy anchors are introduced which allow authors to express the uncertainty and vagueness which is inherent in a hypertext anchor. Fuzzy anchors use partial truth values which allow authors to define a "degree of membership" for anchors. Anchors no longer have fixed, discrete boundaries, but have more in common with contour lines used in map design. These fuzzy anchors are used as the basis for an adaptive model, so that anchors can be modified in response to user actions. The HIPPO linking model introduces linkbase trees which combine link collections into inheritance hierarchies. These are used to construct reusable inheritance trees, which allow authors to reuse and build on existing link collections. An adaptive model is also presented to modify these linkbase hierarchies. Finally, the HIPPO system is re-implemented using a widely distributed architecture. This distributed model implements a hypertext system as a collection of lightweight, distributed services. The benefits of this distributed hypertext model are discussed, and an adaptive model is then suggested