A Web Search Methodology for Different User Typologies

Abstract

Search engines and directories are the main tools used to find desired information into the ocean of digital contents that is the Web. However, they are not presently able to understand the user specific needs and starting knowledge because their inability to simulate the processes of human mind. Natural Language Processing, Folksonomy, Semantic Web and Serendipitous Surfing are some of the recent research fields towards understanding of human natural language and in general of real user needs. This work aims to add one step more to this evolution path by presenting a new search methodology that allows users to create new knowledge paths on the web based on their specific requirements. Thus, we consider different web-learners typologies such as “basic searchers", "deep searchers" and "wide searchers" with different starting knowledges and search expectations. This methodology has been used to run some preliminary experiments and the results are more than encouraging.