Abstract An evaluation framework and simulator of an interactive information retrieval system is ... more Abstract An evaluation framework and simulator of an interactive information retrieval system is introduced. The simulation environment implements a model of an interactive information retrieval system that uses an adaptive hypertext interface to present documents to the user. Links within such an interface are generated at runtime based on previous link selections.
The results from a series of three experiments that used Text Retrieval Conference (TREC) data an... more The results from a series of three experiments that used Text Retrieval Conference (TREC) data and TREC search topics are compared. These experiments each involved three novel user interfaces (one per experiment). User interfaces that made it easier for users to view text were found to improve recall in all three experiments. A distinction was found between a cluster of subjects (a majority of whom were search experts) who tended to read fewer documents more carefully (readers, or exclusives) and subjects who skimmed through more documents without reading them as carefully (skimmers, or inclusives). Skimmers were found to have signi®cantly better recall overall. A major outcome from our experiments at TREC and with the TREC data, is that hypertext interfaces to information retrieval (IR) tasks tend to increase recall. Our interpretation of this pattern of results across the three experiments is that increased interaction with the text (more pages viewed) generally improves recall. Findings from one of the experiments indicated that viewing a greater diversity of text on a single screen (i.e., not just more text per se, but more articles available at once) may also improve recall. In an experiment where a traditional (type-in) query interface was contrasted with a condition where queries were marked up on the text, the improvement in recall due to viewing more text was more pronounced with search novices. Our results demonstrate that markup and hypertext interfaces to text retrieval systems can bene®t recall and can also bene®t novices. The challenge now will be to ®nd modi®ed versions of hypertext interfaces that can improve precision, as well as recall and that can work with users who prefer to use dierent types of search strategy or have dierent types of training and experience. Ó
There are many models of hypertext, distinguished by a number of factors such as the underlying s... more There are many models of hypertext, distinguished by a number of factors such as the underlying semantic data model (link typing and node typing), the degree of dynamic linking in the hypertext, and how dynamism and other behaviours are implemented. This essay examines a particular approach to dynamism in hypertext, based on the degree of similarity between a text passage in a source node and the text of a target node. It reviews work carried out over the past decade in creating systems for markup-based querying and dynamic hypertext, with particular emphasis on a model of dynamic hypertext that computes hypertext links on the fly using queries.
Abstract: Traditional (static) hypertext requires an author to hardcode links between documents. ... more Abstract: Traditional (static) hypertext requires an author to hardcode links between documents. Users see a" one size fits all" organization which may not meet their searching needs. Dynamic hypertext creates hypertext links" on the fly". These links customize a Web site uniquely for each user. An experiment was conducted comparing dynamic and static forms of hypertext in a question answering task. Overall performance, in terms of both task time and accuracy, was better for the dynamic hypertext interface. In addition, novices ...
There was a proliferation of electronic information sources and search engines in the 1990s. Many... more There was a proliferation of electronic information sources and search engines in the 1990s. Many of these information sources became available through the ubiquitous interface of the Web browser. Diverse information sources became accessible to information professionals and casual end users alike. Much of the information was also hyperlinked, so that information could be explored by browsing as well as searching. While vast amounts of information were now just a few keystrokes and mouseclicks away, as the choices multiplied, so did the complexity of choosing where and how to look for the electronic information. Much of the complexity in information exploration at the turn of the twenty-®rst century arose because there was no common cataloguing and control system across the various electronic information sources. In addition, the many search engines available diered widely in terms of their domain coverage, query methods and eciency.
Abstract An evaluation framework and simulator of an interactive information retrieval system is ... more Abstract An evaluation framework and simulator of an interactive information retrieval system is introduced. The simulation environment implements a model of an interactive information retrieval system that uses an adaptive hypertext interface to present documents to the user. Links within such an interface are generated at runtime based on previous link selections.
The results from a series of three experiments that used Text Retrieval Conference (TREC) data an... more The results from a series of three experiments that used Text Retrieval Conference (TREC) data and TREC search topics are compared. These experiments each involved three novel user interfaces (one per experiment). User interfaces that made it easier for users to view text were found to improve recall in all three experiments. A distinction was found between a cluster of subjects (a majority of whom were search experts) who tended to read fewer documents more carefully (readers, or exclusives) and subjects who skimmed through more documents without reading them as carefully (skimmers, or inclusives). Skimmers were found to have signi®cantly better recall overall. A major outcome from our experiments at TREC and with the TREC data, is that hypertext interfaces to information retrieval (IR) tasks tend to increase recall. Our interpretation of this pattern of results across the three experiments is that increased interaction with the text (more pages viewed) generally improves recall. Findings from one of the experiments indicated that viewing a greater diversity of text on a single screen (i.e., not just more text per se, but more articles available at once) may also improve recall. In an experiment where a traditional (type-in) query interface was contrasted with a condition where queries were marked up on the text, the improvement in recall due to viewing more text was more pronounced with search novices. Our results demonstrate that markup and hypertext interfaces to text retrieval systems can bene®t recall and can also bene®t novices. The challenge now will be to ®nd modi®ed versions of hypertext interfaces that can improve precision, as well as recall and that can work with users who prefer to use dierent types of search strategy or have dierent types of training and experience. Ó
There are many models of hypertext, distinguished by a number of factors such as the underlying s... more There are many models of hypertext, distinguished by a number of factors such as the underlying semantic data model (link typing and node typing), the degree of dynamic linking in the hypertext, and how dynamism and other behaviours are implemented. This essay examines a particular approach to dynamism in hypertext, based on the degree of similarity between a text passage in a source node and the text of a target node. It reviews work carried out over the past decade in creating systems for markup-based querying and dynamic hypertext, with particular emphasis on a model of dynamic hypertext that computes hypertext links on the fly using queries.
Abstract: Traditional (static) hypertext requires an author to hardcode links between documents. ... more Abstract: Traditional (static) hypertext requires an author to hardcode links between documents. Users see a" one size fits all" organization which may not meet their searching needs. Dynamic hypertext creates hypertext links" on the fly". These links customize a Web site uniquely for each user. An experiment was conducted comparing dynamic and static forms of hypertext in a question answering task. Overall performance, in terms of both task time and accuracy, was better for the dynamic hypertext interface. In addition, novices ...
There was a proliferation of electronic information sources and search engines in the 1990s. Many... more There was a proliferation of electronic information sources and search engines in the 1990s. Many of these information sources became available through the ubiquitous interface of the Web browser. Diverse information sources became accessible to information professionals and casual end users alike. Much of the information was also hyperlinked, so that information could be explored by browsing as well as searching. While vast amounts of information were now just a few keystrokes and mouseclicks away, as the choices multiplied, so did the complexity of choosing where and how to look for the electronic information. Much of the complexity in information exploration at the turn of the twenty-®rst century arose because there was no common cataloguing and control system across the various electronic information sources. In addition, the many search engines available diered widely in terms of their domain coverage, query methods and eciency.
Uploads
Papers by Rick Bodner