Basic-level Concepts and the Assessment of Subject Relevance: Are They Really Relevant?

Studies of user-generated tagging vocabularies have suggested a preference for basic- level terms in tagging vocabularies (e.g., Golder and Huberman, 2006; Munk and Mork, 2007). A high proportion of basic-level terms has also been observed in systems of knowledge organization (Green, 2006). This study addresses the relevance of basic-level terms in knowledge representation and organization systems from the perspective of theories of relevance assessment proposed by Saracevic (1975, 2007a, 2007b) and Hjørland (2010) and argues that domain knowledge and expertise, which are thought to be central in the assessment of relevance, may be based on the subordinate level of conceptualization rather than the basic or superordinate levels seemingly favored in representational systems

Applying a Topical Relevance Typology to Analyze Online Product Information Types and Their Effects on Internet Consumer Decision

This paper lays out a research proposal of systematically analyzing and comparing the decision effects of online product information types. Hardly any in-depth knowledge is currently available on how different information types influence online consumer trust and purchase intention. To address this research gap, we apply a generic function-based topical relevance typology to classify the variety of online product information and plan for focused comparisons of the functional roles played by different information types in e-retailing. Understanding the differential impacts of each information type provides a basis for prioritizing online information provisioning and organization, which becomes particularly meaningful in the current context of information overload. The paper briefly reviews information research in e-commerce, introduces the product type as an important moderating factor, and discusses the conceptual basis and applicability of applying the generic relevance typology to analyze product relevant information. The research model and preliminary hypotheses are also described

Function-Based Categorization of Online Product Information Types

Hardly any in-depth knowledge is currently available on how different types of product-relevant information influence online consumer trust and purchase decision. To address this research gap, we apply a generic function-based information typology to systematically classify the large variety of online product information and plan for a focused comparison of their functional roles and differential effects on online consumer decision making. The ultimate goal is to provide a theoretical basis for guiding and prioritizing online information organization and provision, which becomes increasingly important in the current context of information overload. The paper briefly reviews information research in e-commerce, discusses the conceptual basis of applying the generic function-based topical relevance typology to analyze online product information, and uses a variety of product examples from Amazon.com to demonstrate the process. The paper concludes with preliminary findings from this pilot study

Citation functions revisited: learning from the princes

This article explores the possibility of promoting knowledge export by means of citation function indexing. Instances of knowledge export are exemplified by cross-disciplinary citations, which, it is suggested, may indicate a prolonged life time use of documents. For CiTO, the Citation Typing Ontology, to serve the purpose of promoting knowledge export, it should be more specific about citation functions, separating them from evaluation, and then be put to test as a discovery tool. To promote cross-disciplinary knowledge export by means of improved indexing of citation functions the examples of long "sleeping beauties" and the "princes" finally awakening them from their slumbers should be analyzed thoroughly. The results of this analysis might be useful to render CiTO more specific and targeted to the goal of serving as a scientific discovery tool. Citation function indexing terms should be combined with domain specific subject headings to make the cross-disciplinary coupling of research areas complete

Connexionisme et génétique pour la recherche d'information

Ce papier présente le champ d'application des techniques issues des réseaux de neurones et de l'algorithmique génétique au domaine de la recherche d'information. Un intérêt particulier portera sur les principes de reformulation de requêtes dans un processus de recherche d'informatio

La pertinence en sciences de l'information : des modèles, une théorie ?

En sciences de l'information, le concept de pertinence est depuis longtemps une préoccupation des chercheurs. Bien qu'ayant fait l'objet de nombreuses publications, il reste encore une notion ambigüe et est périodiquement réinterrogé : s'il est au centre de la problématique de la recherche d'information, mieux le définir permettrait certainement de mieux comprendre la façon dont les individus se comportent lorsqu'ils cherchent de l'information. Depuis la fin des années 1990, ce concept a été proposé comme un candidat possible à l'élaboration d'une théorie permettant d'unifier dans un cadre commun les travaux sur le comportement de recherche des usagers de l'information (en sciences humaines et sociales) et ceux qui cherchent à concevoir des systèmes informatisés opérationnels pour les aider dans leurs quêtes (en informatique et en intelligence artificielle). Ce chapitre fait le point sur différents modèles de la pertinence qui ont été proposés dans la littérature

RELIEFS : un système d'inspiration cognitive pour le filtrage adaptatif de documents textuels

International audienceL'objet de cet article est la présentation d'un nouveau système nommé RELIEFS (pour RELevance Information Extraction Fuzzy System) pour le filtrage adaptatif de documents textuels. Les grands principes de fonctionnement de ce système s'inspirent de mécanismes cognitifs intervenant dans les processus de sélection de l'information. Plus précisément, notre recherche part de l'analyse de modèles de la mémoire sémantique (accès et organisation des connaissances en mémoire) et de modèles qui rendent compte de phénomènes attentionnels (sélection des informations provenant de l'environnement). Des liens forts sont tissés entre ces modèles et des modèles traditionnellement utilisés en RI. Une nouvelle interprétation de la notion de pertinence est proposée. L'analyse nous conduit à extraire un ensemble de mécanismes de base renvoyant aux notions d'activation et de propagation d'activation pour la sélection d'information " pertinentes ". Ces mécanismes sont implémentés et testés avec succès dans la tâche de filtrage adaptatif de TREC9

User Perceptions of Associative Thesaural Relationships: A Preliminary Study

This study investigates whether potential library users can identify distinctions of associative relationships in Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and whether they perceive such relationships as useful. This work tests previous presumptions about user needs and capabilities regarding associative relationships. It lays a foundation for an interconnected network of subject relationships to navigate both libraries and the Web. Using sample related term pairs sourced, potential library users on Amazon Mechanical Turk were asked to identify narrower distinctions of established associative relationship types. Results indicate that some associative relationship types, especially near-synonymous/frequently interchangeable terms, are easily identifiable while others, like position in time and space, remain problematic. Despite an inclination against library catalog use, potential library users do perceive associative relationships as useful and suggest a variety of additional associative relationship types. For some users, the type of associative relationship may be less important than relationship closeness or proximity.ye