Using query-based concept structures to improve subject access to digital libraries

Abstract

From the early information retrieval systems to recent web search engines, most systems ask user to express their information need in a query. While the online information systems, such as search engines and digital libraries, bring the great opportunity of accessing huge amount of information directly, they also present challenges on users’ competence of formulating good queries. In library, thesauri and classification schemes are not only indexing tools, but also concept consultation tools. Thesauri and classification schemes haven’t fully adapted in to digital library and IR system, because there are not universal concept hierarchies. This essay introduces the ideal of using query-based concept structures to improve subject access to digital libraries. It reports some early work of an ongoing project that explores the usability and effectiveness of query-based concept structures, which naturally connects static knowledge in the information collection and user dynamic information need, as intermediary. Methodologies and experimental designs are laid out. The preliminary results are presented and further research is discussed.