Introduction to social information access

Abstract

This chapter offers an introduction to the emerging field of social information access. Social information access focuses on technologies that organize users past interaction with information in order to provide future users with better access to information. These technologies have become increasingly more popular in all areas of information access, including search, browsing, and recommendation. Starting with a definition of the new field and a brief history of social information access, this chapter introduces a multi-aspect classification of social information access technologies. The two important factors for our classification are the types of information access involved and the source of the social information that has been leveraged to support information access. These two factors are the angles we use in this chapter to create a map of the field, as well as to introduce the book structure and the role of the remaining book chapters in covering social information access topics and technologies.