Matching Items (2)
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Description
Many web search improvements have been developed since the advent of the modern search engine, but one underrepresented area is the application of specific customizations to search results for educational web sites. In order to address this issue and improve the relevance of search results in automated learning environments, this

Many web search improvements have been developed since the advent of the modern search engine, but one underrepresented area is the application of specific customizations to search results for educational web sites. In order to address this issue and improve the relevance of search results in automated learning environments, this work has integrated context-aware search principles with applications of preference based re-ranking and query modifications. This research investigates several aspects of context-aware search principles, specifically context-sensitive and preference based re-ranking of results which take user inputs as to their preferred content, and combines this with search query modifications which automatically search for a variety of modified terms based on the given search query, integrating these results into the overall re-ranking for the context. The result of this work is a novel web search algorithm which could be applied to any online learning environment attempting to collect relevant resources for learning about a given topic. The algorithm has been evaluated through user studies comparing traditional search results to the context-aware results returned through the algorithm for a given topic. These studies explore how this integration of methods could provide improved relevance in the search results returned when compared against other modern search engines.
ContributorsVan Egmond, Eric (Author) / Burleson, Winslow (Thesis advisor) / Syrotiuk, Violet (Thesis advisor) / Nelson, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Description
Our lives are documented and facilitated by the internet. Given that an increasing proportion of time is being spent online, search and browsing history offers a unique frame of reference to conduct a qualitative study since it contains individual goals, day-to-day experiences, illicit thoughts, and questions, all while capturing sentiments

Our lives are documented and facilitated by the internet. Given that an increasing proportion of time is being spent online, search and browsing history offers a unique frame of reference to conduct a qualitative study since it contains individual goals, day-to-day experiences, illicit thoughts, and questions, all while capturing sentiments rather than statistics. Seeing this recorded daily activity mapped out over the course of several years would hopefully provide a startling reminder of how life can be accurately and simply described as a series of constantly evolving interests and intentions, as well as give a sense of how exhaustively massive internet companies collect private information online. The search engine giant Google offers its users the transparency and freedom to export and download an archive of their web activity through a service known as Google Takeout. We propose using this service to empower ordinary individuals with Google accounts by developing a comprehensive and qualitative approach to understanding and gaining insights about their personal behavior online. In this paper, we first define and analyze the need for such a product. Then we conduct a variety of intent and interest-sensitive computational analysis methods on a sample browser history to explore and contextualize emergent trends, as a proof of concept. Finally, we create a blueprint for building an interactive application which uses our approach to generate dynamic dashboards and unique user profiles from search and browsing data.
ContributorsLi, Jason (Author) / Sopha, Matthew (Thesis director) / Shutters, Shade (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor, Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12