A Review of Question Answering Systems: Approaches, Challenges, and Applications

Abstract

Question answering (QA) systems are a type of natural language processing (NLP) technology that provide precise and concise answers to questions posed in natural language. These systems have the potential to revolutionize the way we access information and can be applied in a wide range of fields including education, customer service, and health care.There are several approaches to building QA systems, including rule-based, information retrieval, and machine learning-based approaches. Rule-based systems rely on predefined rules and patterns to extract answers from a given text, while information retrieval systems use search algorithms to retrieve relevant information from a large database. Machine learning-based systems, on the other hand, use training data to learn to extract answers from text.One of the main challenges faced by QA systems is the need to understand the context and intent behind a question. This requires the system to have a deep understanding of the language and the ability to make inferences based on the given information. Another challenge is the need to extract relevant information from a large and potentially unstructured dataset.Despite these challenges, QA systems have a wide range of applications, including education, customer service, and health care. In education, QA systems can be used to provide personalized learning experiences and help students learn more efficiently. In customer service, QA systems can be used to handle a high volume of queries and provide quick and accurate responses to customers. In health care, QA systems can be used to assist doctors and patients by providing timely and accurate information about medical conditions and treatments.Overall, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of QA systems, their approaches, challenges, and applications. By understanding the current state of development and the potential impact of QA systems, we can better utilize these technologies to improve various industries and enhance the way we access information