SIMS 296a-3:SIMS 296a-3:Current Topics in Information Current Topics in Information

AccessAccess

Marti Hearst Marti Hearst

Fall ‘98Fall ‘98

TodayToday

IntroductionsIntroductions Goals and Course RequirementsGoals and Course Requirements AdministriviaAdministrivia TopicsTopics

What is Information AccessWhat is Information Access Current Topics (an outline)Current Topics (an outline) Intro to IAIntro to IA

GoalsGoals

Become expert on the state-of-the-art in Become expert on the state-of-the-art in timely topics related to information accesstimely topics related to information access

Begin getting research results.Begin getting research results.

Course RequirementsCourse Requirements

To get S/U credit for the classTo get S/U credit for the class Lead two discussionsLead two discussions Do the readingsDo the readings Attend the meetingsAttend the meetings

Course RequirementsCourse Requirements To get a grade in the classTo get a grade in the class

Do the aboveDo the above Do one of the following (optionally with the help of a Do one of the following (optionally with the help of a

faculty member and/or another student):faculty member and/or another student): Write a publishable survey paper on an emerging area Write a publishable survey paper on an emerging area

of information access.of information access. Do research that should lead to a publishable research Do research that should lead to a publishable research

paper onpaper on a new idea, method, analysis, or vision a new idea, method, analysis, or vision statement for an emerging area of information access.statement for an emerging area of information access.

Implement and/or evaluate code to further an Implement and/or evaluate code to further an information access research project.information access research project.

AdministriviaAdministrivia

Sign up sheetSign up sheet ReadingsReadings Other questions?Other questions?

OutlineOutline

What is Information Access?What is Information Access? Goals, Tasks, Types of dataGoals, Tasks, Types of data

Standard Information RetrievalStandard Information Retrieval Assumptions, Techniques, EvaluationAssumptions, Techniques, Evaluation

Current TopicsCurrent Topics Candidate topicsCandidate topics

What is Information Access?What is Information Access?

Information Access:Information Access: The process by which users use The process by which users use

information technology to seek, organize, information technology to seek, organize, and understand information.and understand information.

Focus: information expressed as text.Focus: information expressed as text.

Task StatementTask Statement

Build a system that retrieves documents that Build a system that retrieves documents that users are likely to find relevant to their queries.users are likely to find relevant to their queries.

This set of assumptions underlies the field of This set of assumptions underlies the field of Information Retrieval.Information Retrieval.

Information RetrievalInformation Retrieval

Information Retrieval Information Retrieval AssumptionsAssumptions

The system has available only pre-The system has available only pre-existing, “canned” text passages.existing, “canned” text passages.

Its response is limited to selecting from Its response is limited to selecting from these passages and presenting them to these passages and presenting them to the user.the user.

It must select, say, 10 or 20 passages out It must select, say, 10 or 20 passages out of millions or billions!of millions or billions!

Top 10 Research Issues for Top 10 Research Issues for IRIR

What do people want from IR?What do people want from IR?

By Bruce Croft, DLIB Magazine, Nov 95By Bruce Croft, DLIB Magazine, Nov 95 Based on work observations from work on Based on work observations from work on

public-domain systems, including:public-domain systems, including: THOMASTHOMAS American Memory Project (Library of American Memory Project (Library of

Congress)Congress) The order of importance does not correspond The order of importance does not correspond

to many IR researchers’ priorities.to many IR researchers’ priorities. The same can be said for AI researchers.The same can be said for AI researchers.

Top 10 Research Issues for Top 10 Research Issues for IRIR Bruce Croft, DLIB Magazine, Nov 95. In descending order of importance.Bruce Croft, DLIB Magazine, Nov 95. In descending order of importance.

Integrated SolutionsIntegrated Solutions Distributed IRDistributed IR Efficient, Flexible Indexing and RetreivalEfficient, Flexible Indexing and Retreival ““Magic” (Effective Vocabulary Expansion)Magic” (Effective Vocabulary Expansion) Interfaces and BrowsingInterfaces and Browsing Routing and FilteringRouting and Filtering Effective RetrievalEffective Retrieval Multimedia RetrievalMultimedia Retrieval Information ExtractionInformation Extraction Relevance FeedbackRelevance Feedback

Other IssuesOther Issues

Mundane issues are importantMundane issues are important Spelling CorrectionSpelling Correction Fast display of initial resultsFast display of initial results

Less important but more interesting from Less important but more interesting from many researchers’ points of view: many researchers’ points of view: (Bruce Croft, (Bruce Croft, DLIB Magazine, Nov 95)DLIB Magazine, Nov 95)

Multilingual IRMultilingual IR Data Mining (in text databases)Data Mining (in text databases) Text CategorizationText Categorization

Matching Tasks, Collections, Matching Tasks, Collections, and Search Systemsand Search Systems Typical WWW search is not the whole picture.Typical WWW search is not the whole picture. Different information needs require:Different information needs require:

different collectionsdifferent collections different search systems and strategiesdifferent search systems and strategies

Compare:Compare: general WWWgeneral WWW newswire and magazinesnewswire and magazines medical journal articlesmedical journal articles

Match Task and Search TypeMatch Task and Search Type

WWW Tasks: WWW Tasks: (from www.cnet.com/Content/Reviews/Compare/Seach/ss1a.html)(from www.cnet.com/Content/Reviews/Compare/Seach/ss1a.html)

Find how-to pages for Doom.Find how-to pages for Doom. Purchase plane tickets and hotel for a trip to Java.Purchase plane tickets and hotel for a trip to Java. Find the top five all-time scoring leaders in the national Find the top five all-time scoring leaders in the national

hockey league.hockey league. Find a recipe for potato latkes.Find a recipe for potato latkes. Find the tide tables for Maui.Find the tide tables for Maui.

Characteristics:Characteristics: Timely, specific, found via help from human Timely, specific, found via help from human

agents and in well-known resources before the agents and in well-known resources before the WWW.WWW.

Match Task and Search TypeMatch Task and Search Type Newswire & Magazine Tasks: Newswire & Magazine Tasks: (from the TREC collection)(from the TREC collection)

Find articles on research into cures for osteoporosis. Find articles on research into cures for osteoporosis. Find articles on the effects of recycling of tires on the environment.Find articles on the effects of recycling of tires on the environment. Find information on jail and prison overcrowding and how inmates are Find information on jail and prison overcrowding and how inmates are

forced to cope with those conditions.forced to cope with those conditions. Find discussion of an existing or proposed insurance plan Find discussion of an existing or proposed insurance plan

(governmental, commercial or individual) and the coverage it provides (governmental, commercial or individual) and the coverage it provides

for long term care confinements in an institutionfor long term care confinements in an institution..

Characteristics:Characteristics: Complex combinations of topics.Complex combinations of topics. Research-orientedResearch-oriented Either timely or retrospectiveEither timely or retrospective

Match Task and Search TypeMatch Task and Search Type MEDLINE Tasks: MEDLINE Tasks: (From OHSUMED, medir.ohsu.edu/pub/ohsumed)(From OHSUMED, medir.ohsu.edu/pub/ohsumed)

Are there adverse effects on lipids when progesterone is given Are there adverse effects on lipids when progesterone is given with estrogen replacement therapy?with estrogen replacement therapy?

Pathophysiology and treatment of disseminated intravascular Pathophysiology and treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation.coagulation.

Reviews on subdurals in the elderly.Reviews on subdurals in the elderly. Effectiveness of etidronate in treating hypercalcemia of Effectiveness of etidronate in treating hypercalcemia of

malignancy.malignancy.

CharacteristicsCharacteristics Research-orientedResearch-oriented TechnicalTechnical Cause and Effect, ImplicationsCause and Effect, Implications

The Problem of Information The Problem of Information AccessAccess

Main problem:Main problem: Computers can’t understand natural language.Computers can’t understand natural language.

Therefore:Therefore: Information access systems must guide users to Information access systems must guide users to

information of interest by information of interest by approximate approximate methods.methods. General common methods:General common methods:

word matchword match topic directoriestopic directories

Why Text is ToughWhy Text is Tough

Abstract concepts difficult to represent Abstract concepts difficult to represent (AI-Complete)(AI-Complete)

““Countless” combinations of subtle, Countless” combinations of subtle, abstract relationships among conceptsabstract relationships among concepts

Many ways to represent similar conceptsMany ways to represent similar conceptsspace ship, flying saucer, UFO, figment of imaginationspace ship, flying saucer, UFO, figment of imagination

Concepts are difficult to visualizeConcepts are difficult to visualize High dimensionalityHigh dimensionality

Tens or hundreds of thousands of featuresTens or hundreds of thousands of features

Why Text is Tough Why Text is Tough

I saw Pathfinder on Mars with a telescope.I saw Pathfinder on Mars with a telescope. Pathfinder photographed Mars.Pathfinder photographed Mars. The Pathfinder photograph mars our The Pathfinder photograph mars our

perception of a lifeless planet.perception of a lifeless planet. The Pathfinder photograph from Ford has The Pathfinder photograph from Ford has

arrived.arrived. The Pathfinder forded the river without The Pathfinder forded the river without

marring its paint job.marring its paint job.

OutlineOutline

What is Information Access?What is Information Access? Goals, Tasks, Types of dataGoals, Tasks, Types of data

Standard Information RetrievalStandard Information Retrieval Assumptions, Techniques, EvaluationAssumptions, Techniques, Evaluation

Current TopicsCurrent Topics Candidate topicsCandidate topics

User InterfacesUser Interfaces Quality AssessmentQuality Assessment Text Data MiningText Data Mining Student suggestionsStudent suggestions

Tools for Information Tools for Information AccessAccess

User InterfacesUser Interfaces(information visualization)(information visualization)

Information AccessInformation Access(information retrieval)(information retrieval)

Language and Language and Task AnalysisTask Analysis

Content AnalysisContent Analysis

Current TopicsCurrent Topics

User InterfacesUser Interfaces Incorporating “personal” informationIncorporating “personal” information Automated “Agents” vs. User Initiated StepsAutomated “Agents” vs. User Initiated Steps Support for the dynamic process of information Support for the dynamic process of information

accessaccess How to organize large search resultsHow to organize large search results

Categories, clusters, combinations of theseCategories, clusters, combinations of these

Question AnsweringQuestion Answering Others?Others?

Current TopicsCurrent Topics

Quality AssessmentQuality Assessment Issues:Issues:

How to define qualityHow to define quality Rating methodsRating methods Different fields (medicine, business)Different fields (medicine, business)

TechniquesTechniques Visitation patterns and timesVisitation patterns and times ““Social” techniquesSocial” techniques Link structure (co-citation patterns)Link structure (co-citation patterns) Link structure + contentLink structure + content

Current TopicsCurrent Topics

Text Data MiningText Data Mining Visualizating the contents of large text Visualizating the contents of large text

collectionscollections Automatically discovering associations Automatically discovering associations

within text collectionswithin text collections Discovering useful patternsDiscovering useful patterns Spotting anomaliesSpotting anomalies

**Finding chains of associated informationFinding chains of associated information **I have a proposal for thisI have a proposal for this

Current TopicsCurrent Topics

Cognitive modeling/AI techniquesCognitive modeling/AI techniques Your idea goes here:Your idea goes here:

For Next TimeFor Next Time

Do background reading Do background reading Think about which topics to pursueThink about which topics to pursue I will present more background I will present more background

informationinformation