Annotations and Digital Libraries: Designing Adequate Test-Beds

2004

This paper presents the results of our study regarding the different facets and ways of using annotations in both digital libraries and collaboratories. This study represents an innovative attempt at gathering methodological tools and synergies from both fields in order to effectively define a comprehensive model for annotations. Thus we propose a conceptual model for annotations in order to develop an annotation service that can be plugged into digital libraries and collaboratories. Finally, starting from our model, we introduce a search strategy for exploiting annotations in order to search and retrieve relevant documents for a user query.

Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering

Search phase is considered as one of the most important steps in conducting secondary studies such as systematic literature reviews and mapping studies. In recent times, automatic search in digital libraries and academic search engines has been the preferred method of search phase execution for most software engineering related secondary studies. However, there are no previous studies that report or evaluate the secondary study relevant search features of these electronic data sources. We perform a feature analysis (screening mode) based evaluation of five widely used digital libraries (IEEE Xplore, ACM DL, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect and Wiley) in terms of their respective features required to support the search phase of secondary studies. We identify a total of 68 search related features and conduct a comprehensive exploration into their execution behaviors. The overall work presents a useful caution guide for systematic reviewers who plan to use the identified features for executing various search phase steps of their secondary studies. 1

2005

In most contemporary digital library management systems (DLMS) the contents are conveyed to the user as a "collection of information items", which can be searched or browsed. However, this paradigm is often not sufficient to cope with embedded usages, for which access to the contents is not seen as an isolated activity, but as part of a larger work process, where interaction with other users, editing and annotating documents need to be integrated.

1999

Digital libraries must reach out to users from all walks of life, serving information needs at all levels. To do this, they must attain high standards of usability over an extremely broad audience. This paper details the evolution of one important digital library component as it has grown in functionality and usefulness over several years of use by a live, unrestricted community. Central to its evolution have been user studies, analysis of use patterns, and formative usability evaluation. We extrapolate that all three components are necessary in the production of successful digital library systems. MARIAN INITIAL DESIGN MARIAN grew out of a perceived need for improved search functionality rather than good human-computer interaction. Specifically, the system specifications (see Fig. 1) revolve around the mechanics of search and retrieval. They are a Figure 3: First window implementation of the result set object.

2012

ABSTRACT Integrated search is defined as searching across different document types and representations simultaneously, with the goal of presenting the user with a single ranked result list containing the optimal mix of document types.

2004

Structured or fielded metadata is the basis for many digital library services, including searching and browsing. Yet, little is known about the impact of using structure on the effectiveness of such services. In this paper, we investigate a key research question: do structured queries improve effectiveness in DL searching? To answer this question, we empirically compared the use of unstructured queries to the use of structured queries. We then tested the capability of a simple Bayesian network system, built on top of a DL retrieval engine, to infer the best structured queries from the keywords entered by the user. Experiments performed with 20 subjects working with a DL containing a large collection of computer science literature clearly indicate that structured queries, either manually constructed or automatically generated, perform better than their unstructured counterparts, in the majority of cases. Also, automatic structuring of queries appears to be an effective and viable alternative to manual structuring that may significantly reduce the burden on users.

Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE, 2005

Information seekers are generally on their own to discover and use a research library's growing array of digital collections, and coordination of these collections' development and maintenance is often not optimal. The frequent lack of a conscious design for how collections fit together is of equal concern because it means that research libraries are not making the most of the substantial investments they are making in digital initiatives. This paper proposes a framework for a research library's digital collections that offers integrated discovery and a set of best practices to underpin collection building, federated access, and sustainability. The framework's purpose is to give information seekers a powerful and easy way to search across existing and future collections and to retrieve integrated sets of results. The paper and its recommendations are based upon research undertaken by the author and a team of librarians and technologists at Cornell University Library. The team conducted structured interviews of forty-five library staff members involved in digital collection building at Cornell, studied an inventory of the library's more than fifty digital collections, and evaluated seven existing Open Archives Initiative (OAI) and federated search production or prototype systems. The author will discuss her team's research and the rationale for their recommendations to: present a cohesive view of the library's digital collections for both browsing and searching at the object level; take a programmatic (rather than project-based) approach to digital collection building; require that all new digital collections conform to library-developed and agreed-upon OAI best practices for data providers; and implement organizational structures to sustain the library's digital collections over the long term.

Proceedings of the workshop on Human Language Technology and Knowledge Management -, 2001

We describe in this paper the MU-MIS Project (Multimedia Indexing and Searching Environment) 1 , which is concerned with the development and integration of base technologies, demonstrated within a laboratory prototype, to support automated multimedia indexing and to facilitate search and retrieval from multimedia databases. We stress the role linguistically motivated annotations, coupled with domain-specific information, can play within this environment. The project will demonstrate that innovative technology components can operate on multilingual, multisource, and multimedia information and create a meaningful and queryable database.

… of the 10th ICCC International Conference …, 2006

The paper presents in brief a methodology for development of tools for knowledge-based search in repositories of digitized manuscripts. It is designated to assist the search activities in collections that may enlist XML documents which should be catalogue descriptions or marked-up full ...

D-Lib Magazine, 2004