Short query linguistic expansion techniques: Palliating one-word queries by providing intermediate structure to text

Abstract

The usual approach to finding information on the WWW via existing Web browsers is to use a one or two word query. Browsers return a number of documents containing these words, and the user examines those docmnents, or their abstracts, sees how the word or words in their query are being used and alters their initial query accordingly. This contrasts markedly with the Information Retrieval models explored by researchers over the past thirty-five years. These models were designed for longer queries and do not provide an adequate response to the user needs. On the other hand, recent advances in natural language processing permit the extraction of typed information that is axed on one or two words. We review a selection of this typed information and describe how it could be used to present an intermediate structure for the user fitting between their short queries and the docmnents found in a heterogeneous text collection such as the WWW.