On the role of a librarian agent in ontology-based knowledge management systems

Abstract: In this paper, we present an agent-based approach for the improvement of searching in an ontology-based knowledge management system. The system implements a library scenario in which users query the repository for knowledge resources. Consequently, the so-called Librarian Agent plays the role of the human librarian in the traditional library it uses all possible information, about the domain vocabulary, the behaviour of previous users and the capacity of the knowledge repository, in order to help users find the resources they are interested in. We partially implemented the approach in the Web Portal of our Institute and some initial evaluation results are shown

Ontology-based specific and exhaustive user profiles for constraint information fusion for multi-agents

Intelligent agents are an advanced technology utilized in Web Intelligence. When searching information from a distributed Web environment, information is retrieved by multi-agents on the client site and fused on the broker site. The current information fusion techniques rely on cooperation of agents to provide statistics. Such techniques are computationally expensive and unrealistic in the real world. In this paper, we introduce a model that uses a world ontology constructed from the Dewey Decimal Classification to acquire user profiles. By search using specific and exhaustive user profiles, information fusion techniques no longer rely on the statistics provided by agents. The model has been successfully evaluated using the large INEX data set simulating the distributed Web environment

Collaborative semantic web browsing with Magpie

Web browsing is often a collaborative activity. Users involved in a joint information gathering exercise will wish to share knowledge about the web pages visited and the contents found. Magpie is a suite of tools supporting the interpretation of web pages and semantically enriched web browsing. By automatically associating an ontology-based semantic layer to web resources, Magpie allows relevant services to be invoked as well as remotely triggered within a standard web browser. In this paper we describe how Magpie trigger services can provide semantic support to collaborative browsing activities

Magpie: towards a semantic web browser

Web browsing involves two tasks: finding the right web page and then making sense of its content. So far, research has focused on supporting the task of finding web resources through ‘standard’ information retrieval mechanisms, or semantics-enhanced search. Much less attention has been paid to the second problem. In this paper we describe Magpie, a tool which supports the interpretation of web pages. Magpie offers complementary knowledge sources, which a reader can call upon to quickly gain access to any background knowledge relevant to a web resource. Magpie automatically associates an ontologybased semantic layer to web resources, allowing relevant services to be invoked within a standard web browser. Hence, Magpie may be seen as a step towards a semantic web browser. The functionality of Magpie is illustrated using examples of how it has been integrated with our lab’s web resources

A Socio-Technical Approach to Interaction Modeling

The purpose of the paper is to present and discuss a set of interaction primitives that can be used to model the dynamicsof socio-technical activity systems, including information systems, in a way that emphasizes structural aspects of theinteraction that occurs in such systems. The primitives are based on a unifying, conceptual definition of the disparateinteraction types. The primitives can be combined and thus used to represent mediated interaction. We present a set ofvisualizations that can be used to define multiple related interactions and we present and discuss a set of examples thatindicate that interaction primitives can be useful modeling tools that can supplement conventional flow-oriented modelingof business processes

Knowledge Management and Communities of Practice around Healthcare Digital Libraries

The recent explosion of medical information available in digital libraries on the Internet provides users with overwhelming amount of medical knowledge. Although the number of patients seeking health related information online is steadily growing, the great potential of this revolutionary technology has not been fully exploited. Professionals often cannot find information when and where they need it; members of public are unaware of varying quality of medical information and often seek health advice from unauthorized and misleading Web sites. In addition, little is known about the real impact of medical knowledge provision on clinical care. Based on our experience with the development of real-world government medical digital libraries in the UK (NeLI and AR DL), we will discuss key issues around knowledge management, healthcare ontologies, quality approval and a new opportunity for online communities of practice around healthcare digital libraries