Searching Textual Documents

“Searching Textual Documents” Please respond to the following:

•Your company has been hired to design a product that will provide searches of textual documents and database querying. Your design team has not developed a product like this before. Examine the challenges associated with searching in textual documents and database querying. Describe how the five-stage search framework shared in Chapter 13 could be used to overcome those challenges.

World Wide Web search engines have greatly improved their performance by using statistical ranks and the information in the web’s hyperlink structure. Searching in structured relational database systems well established task using SQL language. Users write queries that specify matches on attribute levels.

An example of SQL command:

While SQL is a standard form-filling queries have simplified query formulation. Finding a way not to overwhelm novice users is a challenge. Evidence shows that users perform better and have higher satisfaction when they can view and control the search.

1. Select Document#
2. From Journal –DB
3. Where (Date>=and Date<=1998)
4. And (Language = English or French)
5. And (publisher=ASIST or HFES or ACM).

Five stages of actions are:

Framework to coordinate design practice:

Formulation

source of the information

fields for limiting the source

phrases

variants

size of results

References: Shneiderman et al., 1997

1. Initiation of action
2. explicit or implicit
3. most systems have a search button for explicit initiation, or for delayed or regularly scheduled initiation
4. implicit actions are initiated by changes to a parameter
5. Review of results
6. view overview and previews
• manipulate visualizations
• examine selected items
• should provide meaningful messages to explain search outcomes
• should support progressive refinement
• allow queries, parameters, or results to be saved, used, or shared

•Assess current multimedia document search techniques and suggest three techniques to improve multimedia search experiences. Explain why you chose to recommend each of the techniques you suggested.

Searches for databases and textual documents are good, but multimedia searches are in a primitive stage. Current multimedia searches require descriptive documents or metadata searches. Search by date, text captions, or media is possible. Useful to have computers perform some filtering. New systems will incorporate powerful annotation and indexing, with better search algorithms and browsing.

Searches for databases and textual documents are good, but multimedia searches are in a primitive stage

Current multimedia searches require descriptive documents or metadata searches

Search by date, text captions, or media is possible

Useful to have computers perform some filtering

New systems will incorporate powerful annotation and indexing, with better search algorithms and browsing

Image Search:

Map Search:

1. Finding photos with images such as the Statue of Liberty is a challenge
2. Query-by-Image-Content (QBIC) is difficult
3. Search by profile (shape of lady), distinctive features (torch), colors (green copper)
4. Use simple drawing tools to build templates or profiles to search with
5. More success is attainable by searching restricted collections
   • Search a vase collection
   • Find a vase with a long neck by drawing a profile of it
   • Critical searches such as fingerprint matching requires a minimum of 20 distinct features
   • For small collections of personal photos effective browsing and lightweight annotation are important

“Advanced Filtering” Please respond to the following:

1. On-line maps are plentiful
2. Search by latitude/longitude is the structured-database solution
3. Today’s maps are allow utilizing structured aspects and multiple layers
4. City, state, and site searches
5. Flight information searches
   • Weather information searches
   • Example: www.mapquest.com
   • Mobile devices can allow “here” as a point of reference

•Describe the most effective advanced filtering and search interface. Argue why the interface you chose is more effective than others, and describe who benefits most from the interface you are describing.

•From the e-Activity, Google has been the dominant market leader for search engines for the past several years, despite a fairly basic interface and competition from competitors like Microsoft and Yahoo. Discuss reasons why Google has been able to maintain such a high market share. Also, suggest some ideas for a search engine that would be able to take market share away from Google.

1. Collaborative Filtering
2. Groups of users combine evaluations to help in finding items in a large database
3. User “votes” and his info is used for rating the item of interest
4. E.g. a user rating sex restaurants highly is given a list of restaurants also rated highly by those who agree the six are good
5. Multilingual searches
   • Current systems provide rudimentary translation searches
   • Prototypes of systems with specific dictionaries and more sophisticated translation
   • Visual searches
   • Specialized visual representations of the possible values
   • E.g. dates on a calendar or seats on a plane
   • On a map the location may be more important than the name
   • Implicit initiation and immediate feedback

Google is awesome – you can type a search and gives you input within seconds – if you make a mistake typing your search – it asks you “did you mean this” – just a click and you have the information you requested within seconds. That is the reason why they are the top in there game.

Some suggestion for a search engine would be:

1. Out-feature: differentiate from the competition by “out-featuring” google – i.e., adding shiny new features to the search results.

2. Develop the Brand: Attempt to shift market share by first shifting mindshare; make the Bing brand top of mind via product placement and traditional media advertising.

3. Go on the Attack: Bing has been doing this over the past couple of years with their “Scroogled” campaign, which originally highlighted Google’s shift to pay-for-play shopping search engine. In the last 12+ months, Microsoft has shown an increased willingness to go on the offensive with aggressive campaigns on tablets, mobile and even the Chromebook.

References: http://searchengineland.com/the-bing-dilemma-what-to-do-with-the-little-search-engine-that-cant-181060