Meaning-based Search > Mimas | JISC Collections | The British Library | Autonomy

As some may beware, earlier this week I posted a query concerning Sensory Information Navigation Systems

[http://sensory-information-navigation.blogspot.com/]

To my pleasant surprise, I've just learned about a major initiative relating to my query >

> Meaning-based Search Unlocks Hidden Collections <

Together with our partners at JISC Collections, the British Library and Autonomy, we’re developing ground-breaking services that use meaning-based search to unlock significant research material, including previously inaccessible digitised editions of more than 65,000 books from the British Library’s 19th century collection.

[snip]

A meaning-based approach to search and discovery

Our challenge has always been to develop a more meaningful search experience, and through our ongoing partnership with Autonomy, we’re deploying IDOL technology to give researchers new ways of discovering related materials that traditional keyword searching wouldn't find. With JISC Historic Books, Autonomy IDOL forms an understanding of the unstructured historical documents and begins to recognize relationships between the information. What this means is that, rather than searching simply by a specific keyword or phrase that could have a number of definitions or interpretations, our interface aims to understand relationships between documents and information and recognize the meaning behind the search query. Moving beyond standard keyword searching to meaning-based searching will give our users results that are based on context and allow linking to other pertinent documents.

Here’s what this approach makes possible:

• Cluster search results around related conceptual themes
• Full-text indexing of documents and associated materials
• Text-mining of full-text documents
• Dynamic clustering and serendipitous browsing
• Visualisation approaches to search results

This approach offers significant opportunities for researchers. As well as users being able to semantically search across a vast range of archives and manuscripts, image collections and digitised books, the conceptual clustering capability of text, video and speech provided by Autonomy IDOL means intelligent tools can be developed to support qualitative analysis on a large scale.

[more]

Source and Links Available At

[http://mimas.ac.uk/news/2012/03/autonomy/]