Wittgenstein and web facets

The World Wide Web has grown exponentially in the last few years. The popularity of Web search engines has also grown in a similar manner. The task of a Web search engine is to provide the Web searcher with accurate and targeted information from the plethora of information available on the Web. This is a daunting task that requires the careful usage of language to ensure accuracy. As a result, the importance of the usage and meaning of language in the Web domain has become the focus of recent research. In this paper, the author will explore Wittgenstein’s later philosophy of language as it applies to the language used in the search result pages of a Web search engine in an effort to broaden the understanding of language usage within this domain

Integrating Controlled Vocabularies into Cultural Heritage Digital Collections: The Portal to Texas History Experience

Paper accompanying a poster for the 2007 ASIS&T Annual Conference. Paper discusses the University of North Texas Libraries' digital libraries' implementations experience. It discusses various scenarios and strategies for integrating controlled vocabularies in the uncontrolled digital library world

Classification management and use in a networked environment : the case of the Universal Decimal Classification

In the Internet information space, advanced information retrieval (IR) methods and automatic text processing are used in conjunction with traditional knowledge organization systems (KOS). New information technology provides a platform for better KOS publishing, exploitation and sharing both for human and machine use. Networked KOS services are now being planned and developed as powerful tools for resource discovery. They will enable automatic contextualisation, interpretation and query matching to different indexing languages. The Semantic Web promises to be an environment in which the quality of semantic relationships in bibliographic classification systems can be fully exploited. Their use in the networked environment is, however, limited by the fact that they are not prepared or made available for advanced machine processing. The UDC was chosen for this research because of its widespread use and its long-term presence in online information retrieval systems. It was also the first system to be used for the automatic classification of Internet resources, and the first to be made available as a classification tool on the Web. The objective of this research is to establish the advantages of using UDC for information retrieval in a networked environment, to highlight the problems of automation and classification exchange, and to offer possible solutions. The first research question was is there enough evidence of the use of classification on the Internet to justify further development with this particular environment in mind? The second question is what are the automation requirements for the full exploitation of UDC and its exchange? The third question is which areas are in need of improvement and what specific recommendations can be made for implementing the UDC in a networked environment? A summary of changes required in the management and development of the UDC to facilitate its full adaptation for future use is drawn from this analysis.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A multiple case study exploration of undergraduate subject searching

Subject searching—seeking information with a subject or topic in mind—is often involved in carrying out undergraduate assignments such as term papers and research reports. It is also an important component of information literacy—the abilities and experiences of effectively finding and evaluating, and appropriately using, needed information—which universities hope to cultivate in undergraduates by the time they complete their degree programs. By exploring the subject searching of a small group of upper-level, academically successful undergraduates over a school year I sought to acquire a deeper understanding of the contexts and characteristics of their subject searching, and of the extent to which it was similar in quality to that of search and domain experts. Primary data sources for this study comprised subject searching diaries maintained by participants, and three online subject searches they demonstrated at the beginning, middle, and end of the study during which they talked aloud while I observed, followed by focused interviews. To explore the quality of study participants’ subject searching I looked for indications of advanced thinking in thoughts they spoke aloud during demonstration sessions relating to using strategy, evaluating, and creating personal understanding, which represent three of the most challenging and complex aspects of information literacy. Applying a layered interpretive process, I identified themes within several hundred instances of participants’ advanced thinking relating to these three information literacy elements, with evaluative themes occurring most often. I also noted three factors influencing the extent of similarity iii between the quality of participants’ advanced thinking and that of search and domain experts which reflected matters that tended to be i) pragmatic or principled, , ii) technical or conceptual, and iii) externally or internally focused. Filtered through these factors, participants’ instances of advanced thinking brought to mind three levels of subject searching abilities: the competent student, the search expert, and the domain expert. Although relatively few in number, I identified at least some advanced thinking evincing domain expert qualities in voiced thoughts of all but one participant, suggesting the gap between higher order thinking abilities of upper-level undergraduates and information literate individuals is not always dauntingly large.Ye

Els sistemes d’informació de qualitat en ciències aquàtiques: la interoperabilitat semàntica

[cat] La missió principal d’aquesta tesi és desenvolupar les bases per a la creació d’un model de sistema d’informació de qualitat per a les ciències aquàtiques per mitjà de l’estudi dels sistemes d’informació de qualitat i dels sistemes d’informació de tipus distribuït. Per tal d’aconseguir-ho, els objectius d’aquesta recerca són estudiar i avaluar els sistemes d’informació distribuïts de qualitat i els seus estàndards per tal d’aplicar-lo a l’àmbit de les ciències aquàtiques. Concretament, l’estudi es centra en els factors claus dels sistemes distribuïts, l’intercanvi de la informació i la recuperació de la informació a través dels sistemes d’organització del coneixement, com a mecanismes per assegurar la interoperabilitat semàntica d’un sistema d’informació distribuït i de qualitat. Per tal de crear les bases d’un futur sistema d’informació de qualitat en l’àmbit de les ciències aquàtiques es persegueixen tres objectius específics que es van desenvolupant al llarg de la tesi a través dels diversos capítols que la formen: En els primers capítols (capítol 1 i 2) es cerca un primer objectiu específic com és assentar les bases per al desenvolupament d’un model futur de sistema d’informació de qualitat (SIQ) de tipus distribuït i en un entorn científic. Aquests capítols es basen en estudis bibliogràfics i estudis de casos (comparativa de sistemes d’informació de tipus semàntic i no semàntic) per tal d’analitzar els antecedents, les característiques, evolució i tendències dels sistemes d’informació de qualitat. En els capítols 3, 4, 5 i 6 s’estudia i es caracteritza els principals elements que fan possible el desenvolupament dels sistemes d’informació distribuïts i de qualitat en ciències aquàtiques: l’arquitectura de la informació basada en la indexació i navegació creuades (model tipus passarel·les temàtiques), els formats i estàndards de descripció bibliogràfica i objectes digitals aplicats en l’àmbit de les ciències aquàtiques i altres ciències afins, l’estudi de la interoperabilitat semàntica com a element clau per assegurar l’intercanvi d’informació i la compatibilitat entre diferents sistemes d’informació que puguin estar integrats en un sistema d’informació distribuït i de qualitat, i finalment, l’estudi de context de la “informació de qualitat” (capítol 6) com a característica principal dels sistemes d’informació de qualitat que és on s’estableix el protocol per a l’anàlisi i avaluació de sistemes d’informació distribuïts de qualitat que formarà part de la base principal del desenvolupament d’un SIQ en ciències aquàtiques. En els darrers capítols, 7 i 8, es desenvolupa un estudi experimental que demostra l’eficàcia dels mètodes d’interoperabilitat semàntica en sistemes d’informació de qualitat en ciències aquàtiques. Finalment en el capítol 9 es resumeixen les conclusions generals obtingudes dels diferents estudis realitzats i els resultats d’aquesta tesi així com el possible treball futur.[eng] The main purpose of this thesis is to develop the basis for creating a model of information quality system in water science domain through the study of information quality systems and distributed information systems. To achieve this goal, we are proposed specific research objectives to study and analyze distributed and quality information systems and their standards to apply them in the field of aquatic sciences. Specifically, this study focuses on the key factors of distributed systems, information sharing and information retrieval through knowledge organization systems (KOS) as mechanisms to ensure the semantic interoperability and information quality in a distributed system