Journalistic image access : description, categorization and searching

The quantity of digital imagery continues to grow, creating a pressing need to develop efficient methods for organizing and retrieving images. Knowledge on user behavior in image description and search is required for creating effective and satisfying searching experiences. The nature of visual information and journalistic images creates challenges in representing and matching images with user needs. The goal of this dissertation was to understand the processes in journalistic image access (description, categorization, and searching), and the effects of contextual factors on preferred access points. These were studied using multiple data collection and analysis methods across several studies. Image attributes used to describe journalistic imagery were analyzed based on description tasks and compared to a typology developed through a meta-analysis of literature on image attributes. Journalistic image search processes and query types were analyzed through a field study and multimodal image retrieval experiment. Image categorization was studied via sorting experiments leading to a categorization model. Advances to research methods concerning search tasks and categorization procedures were implemented. Contextual effects on image access were found related to organizational contexts, work, and search tasks, as well as publication context. Image retrieval in a journalistic work context was contextual at the level of image needs and search process. While text queries, together with browsing, remained the key access mode to journalistic imagery, participants also used visual access modes in the experiment, constructing multimodal queries. Assigned search task type and searcher expertise had an effect on query modes utilized. Journalistic images were mostly described and queried for on the semantic level but also syntactic attributes were used. Constraining the description led to more abstract descriptions. Image similarity was evaluated mainly based on generic semantics. However, functionally oriented categories were also constructed, especially by domain experts. Availability of page context promoted thematic rather than object-based categorization. The findings increase our understanding of user behavior in image description, categorization, and searching, as well as have implications for future solutions in journalistic image access. The contexts of image production, use, and search merit more interest in research as these could be leveraged for supporting annotation and retrieval. Multiple access points should be created for journalistic images based on image content and function. Support for multimodal query formulation should also be offered. The contributions of this dissertation may be used to create evaluation criteria for journalistic image access systems

Image Semantics in the Description and Categorization of Journalistic Photographs

This paper reports a study on the description and categorization of images. The aim of the study was to evaluate existing indexing frameworks in the context of reportage photographs and to find out how the use of this particular image genre influences the results. The effect of different tasks on image description and categorization was also studied. Subjects performed keywording and free description tasks and the elicited terms were classified using the most extensive one of the reviewed frameworks. Differences were found in the terms used in constrained and unconstrained descriptions. Summarizing terms such as abstract concepts, themes, settings and emotions were used more frequently in keywording than in free description. Free descriptions included more terms referring to locations within the images, people and descriptive terms due to the narrative form the subjects used without prompting. The evaluated framework was found to lack some syntactic and semantic classes present in the data and modifications were suggested. According to the results of this study image categorization is based on high-level interpretive concepts, including affective and abstract themes. The results indicate that image genre influences categorization and keywording modifies and truncates natural image description

Image Semantics in the Description and Categorization of Journalistic Photographs

This paper reports a study on the description and categorization of images. The aim of the study was to evaluate existing indexing frameworks in the context of reportage photographs and to find out how the use of this particular image genre influences the results. The effect of different tasks on image description and categorization was also studied. Subjects performed keywording and free description tasks and the elicited terms were classified using the most extensive one of the reviewed frameworks. Differences were found in the terms used in constrained and unconstrained descriptions. Summarizing terms such as abstract concepts, themes, settings and emotions were used more frequently in keywording than in free description. Free descriptions included more terms referring to locations within the images, people and descriptive terms due to the narrative form the subjects used without prompting. The evaluated framework was found to lack some syntactic and semantic classes present in the data and modifications were suggested. According to the results of this study image categorization is based on high-level interpretive concepts, including affective and abstract themes. The results indicate that image genre influences categorization and keywording modifies and truncates natural image description

Kuvanvalintaan liittyvän tietämyksen hyödyntäminen toimitusjärjestelmässä

The objective of this Master's thesis was to investigate what kind of knowledge is used during the selection of images in a newspaper. The goal was to classify the knowledge and discover ways to leverage it in the editorial process via the editorial system. Particularly the roles of tacit knowledge and textual information were under study. Knowledge management in the media is a new area of study and knowledge pertaining to images has not been studied until now. Previous studies were available from the fields of knowledge management and image retrieval. The literature survey conducted focused on the theory and applications of knowledge management and the definitions and classifications of knowledge. It also addressed visual knowledge and indexing and retrieval of images both on a general level and concerning press images. The research was conducted as a case study using both quantitative and qualitative data. Requests for images, orders for images and image search logs from the case newspaper were used as data for the study as well as interviews and observations of various actors of the image selection process. In addition, two surveys were conducted concerning the criteria for image selection and work tasks and tools. According to the results the knowledge used in the image workflow is practical, varied, dynamic and complex. The staff's knowledge included knowledge about the images as objects, their contexts and their functions in the paper. Part of the knowledge employed was implicit and general knowledge played an important role. The textual components attached to the images were utilized in various ways, including relevance assessments. In the requests and searches for images the knowledge was often simplified into themes, pair comparisons and minimum criteria. The knowledge dealt with concrete objects, domains or events and the context of the publication which was used to form a mental model of the image to be sought. Criteria pertaining to the conceptual content, visual factors and the viewer's response were all used in the selection of images. The final image selection criteria were dynamic and arose from the viewed images. The results of the study were used to amplify an analysis tool for the content description of images to be better suited for the characterization of image requests in a newspaper. A model for the observed process of image selection was constructed and the related knowledge classified according to the knowing entity and the nature and content of the knowledge. Several parts of the knowledge were identified as candidates for codification into the editorial system. Also recognized were ways of supporting image searches of different types and the storage and transfer of image knowledge.Tämän diplomityön tarkoituksena oli selvittää millaista tietämystä sanomalehden kuvatyönkulussa ja kuvanvalinnassa käytetään. Tavoitteena oli luokitella tietämystä ja etsiä tapoja hyödyntää sitä toimitustyössä toimitusjärjestelmän avulla. Erityisesti haluttiin selvittää hiljaisen tietämyksen osuutta kuvatyönkulussa sekä tekstitiedon roolia. Tietämyksenhallinta mediassa on uusi ala, eikä kuviin liittyvää tietämystä ole tähän mennessä tutkittu. Aiempaa tutkimustietoa oli saatavilla tietämyksenhallinnan ja toisaalta kuvatiedonhaun aloilta. Kirjallisuusosassa käsiteltiin tietämyksenhallinnan teoriaa, tietämyksen luokittelua ja tietämyksenhallinnan sovelluksia. Lisäksi työssä käsiteltiin myös kuvatietoa, kuvien indeksointia ja kuvahakua sekä yleisesti että erityisesti lehtikuvien kannalta. Tutkimus toteutettiin tapaustutkimuksena käyttäen sekä määrällistä että laadullista aineistoa. Aineisto koostui kohdeorganisaatiossa kerätyistä kuvapyynnöistä, kuvatilauksista, kuvahaun lokitiedostoista sekä kuvanvalinnan eri toimijoiden haastatteluista ja havainnoinnista. Lisäksi suoritettiin kaksi lomakekyselyä kuvanvalinnan kriteereistä ja kuvahakuprosessista. Kaikki nämä paljastivat piirteitä tietämyksestä eri vaiheissa kuvatyönkulkua. Tulosten perusteella kuvatyönkulussa käytettävä tietämys oli käytännönläheistä, monipuolista, dynaamista ja kompleksista. Tietämystä oli sekä kuvista objekteina, niiden konteksteista että käytöstä lehdessä. Osa käytetystä tietämyksestä oli implisiittistä ja yleistiedolla oli tärkeä rooli. Kuviin liittyviä tekstuaalisia komponentteja käytettiin hyväksi monin tavoin muun muassa relevanssiarvioissa. Kuvapyynnöissä ja -hauissa tietämys pelkistyi usein teemoihin, parivertailuihin ja minimikriteereihin. Kuvahauissa tietämys käsitteli konkreettisia objekteja, aihealuetta tai tapahtumia sekä julkaisun kontekstia, jonka pohjalta muodostettiin sisäinen malli haettavasta kuvasta. Kuvanvalinnassa käytettiin sekä kuvan käsitteelliseen sisältöön, visuaalisiin tekijöihin että kuvan herättämään vasteeseen liittyviä kriteerejä. Lopulliset valintakriteerit olivat dynaamisia ja syntyivät selatun kuvajoukon pohjalta. Työssä laajennettiin saatujen tulosten pohjalta kuvien sisällönkuvailuun tarkoitettua analyysityökalua vastaamaan paremmin kuvapyyntöjä sanomalehdessä. Havainnoitu kuvahaun prosessi mallinnettiin ja siihen liittyvä tietämys luokiteltiin tietäjän, tietämyksen luonteen ja sisällön mukaan. Kuvanvalinnan tietämyksestä tunnistettiin useita tietämyskokonaisuuksia, jotka voitaisiin eksplikoida toimitusjärjestelmään. Lisäksi tunnistettiin tapoja tukea erityyppisiä kuvahakuja sekä kuvatietämyksen tallennusta ja siirtoa

The balance of the professional role between relationship and labour law : A qualitative interview study within personal assistance, inspired by grounded theory

Yrkeskategorin personlig assistans uppkom 1994 genom assistansreformen. Yrketsyftar till att främja jämlika levnadsvillkor och delaktighet i samhällslivet förmänniskor med funktionshinder. Yrket kan upplevas som svårt då den personligaassistenten dras mellan två lagrum; brukarens självbestämmande kontra den egnaarbetsmiljön. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur personliga assistenter,anställda av Halmstad kommun, upplever sitt yrke då yrkeskategorin är starktpåverkad av brukarens lagstadgade rättigheter. Studien genomfördes genomvägledning av följande frågeställningar: Hur beskriver assistenter sin relation till brukare ochvad har relationen för betydelse för assistentens upplevelse av arbetet? Hur upplever assistenter attderas arbetsrättsliga behov tillgodoses? Hur upplever assistenterna att brukarnas socialrättsligabehov tillgodoses? Denna studie var uppdragsbaserad och ämnet valdes utifrån behovfrån socialförvaltningen i Halmstad kommun. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av enkvalitativ undersökning med inspiration av grundad teori som metod.Datainsamlingen utfördes genom sju stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer. Urvaletavgränsades till personliga assistenter anställda av socialförvaltningen i Halmstadkommun. Med inspiration av grundad teori togs en faktisk teori fram. Denna teorivisar att yrkeskategorin vilar på ett trepartsförhållande där brukare, arbetsgivare ochassistent deltar. Teorin kan ge förklaring på vad arbetsgivaren kan göra för att skapabättre arbetsförhållanden för assistenten och vidare förbättra relationen mellanassistent och brukare. Då tidigare forskning indikerar att det finns en kunskapsluckainom denna yrkeskategori var valet av metod relevant för att synliggöra möjligamodeller och teorier för yrkeskategorin. Den framtagna teorin kan vara till nytta föratt bättre förstå vad som påverkar medarbetarna inom denna yrkeskategori.The professional category of personal assistance arose in 1994 through the personalassistance reform. The profession aims to promote equal living conditions andparticipation in the social life, for people with disabilities. The profession can be perceivedas difficult, since the personal assistant is drawn between two law fields; the client’s selfdetermination versus their working environment. The purpose of the study was toinvestigate how personal assistant employees, at the municipality of Halmstad, experiencetheir profession. This is of interest since this professional category is strongly influencedby the client’s self-determination, integrity and freedom of choice. The study was carriedout with guidance of the following questions: How do assistants describe their relationship withclients and what does this relationship mean for how the assistants’ feel about their employments? How doassistants feel that their labour law needs are met? How do the assistants feel that the social law needs ofthe clients are met? This study was assignment-based and the subject was chosen based onneeds from the social administration in Halmstad municipality. The study was conductedusing a qualitative study and inspired by grounded theory as a method. The data collectionwas carried out through seven semi-structured interviews. The selection was limited topersonal assistant employees within the social services in Halmstad municipality. Withinspiration from a grounded theory as a tool of work, an actual theory was developed.This theory shows that the professional category is based on a tripartite relationship inwhich the client, employer and assistant participate. The theory can explain what theemployer can do to create better working conditions for the assistant and further improvethe relationship between the assistant and the client. Previous research indicates that thereis a knowledge gap in this professional category. Therefore, choosing method basedtheory as a working tool was relevant for visualizing possible models and theories withinthis professional category. The presented theory can be useful to better understand theaffects the employees can experience within this professional category

Функционирование слова еретикъ в сочинениях против жидовствующих

В первой части сборника представлены работы, касающиеся исследования системы языка в синхронии и диахронии, семантической интерпретации и номинации, а также проблем текстолингвистики и словообразования