Antje Düsterhöft

GETESS - Searching the Web Exploiting German Texts

We present an intelligent information agent that uses semantic methods and natural language processing capabilites in order to gather tourist information from theWWWand present it to the human user in an intuitive, user-friendly way. Thereby, the information agent is designed such that as background knowledge and linguistic coverage increase, its benefits improve, while it guarantees state-of-the-art information and database retrieval capabilities as its bottom line.

SiteLang: Conceptual Modeling of Internet Sites

Internet information services are developed everywhere. Such services include content generation and functionality support which has to be modeled in a consistent way. Within our projects we developed a methodology resulting in a language SiteLang which allows specification of information services based on the concepts of the story and interaction spaces as well as media objects.The specification can be automatically mapped to implementations.

An Informal and Efficient Approach for Obtaining Semantic Constraints Using Sample Data and Natural Language Processing

The main objective of database modelling is the design of a database that is correct and can be processed efficiently by a database management system. The efficiency and correctness of a database depends among other things on knowledge about database semantics because semantic constraints are the prerequisite for normalization and restructuring operations. Acquisition of semantic constraints remains one of the bottlenecks in database design because for most database designers formal definition of semantic constraints is a very difficult task.

The use of metaphorical structures for internet sites

Abstract Information services, such as regional or tourist information services, are currently developed everywhere. Whenever a site gets very large, providers understand the need for a systematic development. Site development is similar to database co-design, which includes structures, functionality, and interfaces. Additionally, interfaces are even more important for sites and need a very sophisticated support whenever the site is raising to large sites. Metaphorical structures, i.e., metaphors, allegories, metonymies or synecdoches, can be used to help the scanning user understand a page. In general, metaphorical structures have a communicative or cognitive function. For example, many users do not realize that within a computer context a trash can often stand as a metaphor for the action of deleting files. The users can understand content, functionality, and intention intuitively via using such metaphorical structures. Site development can profit from well-integrated metaphorical structures aimed at focus on a deeper context explanation as well as on a more specific navigation and selection. Metaphorical structures for sites can be developed based on linguistic and cognitive research. Stand-alone metaphors have often been used for sites. The power of metaphorical structures can be best exploited if they are used for complex actions and in an integrated way together with structure, functionality, and interfaces. This paper shows how the co-design approach allows for the consistent development of metaphorical structures in an integrated manner.

A system for facilitating and enhancing web search

We present a system that uses semantic methods and natural language processing capabilites in order to provide comprehensive and easy-to-use access to tourist information in the WWW. Thereby, the system is designed such that as background knowledge and linguistic coverage increase, the benefits of the system improve, while it guarantees state-of-the-art information and database retrieval capabilities as its bottom line.

The Rapid Application and Database Development Workbench - A Comfortable Database Design Tool

We present a workbench for database design which supports designers efficiently and informally to achieve correct and efficient databases.

Capturing information on behaviour with the RADD-NLI: a linguistic and knowledge-based approach

Abstract In this paper we illustrate how information on behaviour can be captured from natural language with the RADD-NLI. The behavioural information contained in verbal descriptions of processes is transformed into the RADD-NLI process model of characteristic processes. This process model is then integrated into the knowledge base of the RADD-NLI. Although taken from a specific domain this model is abstract enough to form the basis for further applications with synonym relations. Processes coming up in the user dialogue will be matched against the knowledge base. A dialogue control is activated if a mismatch occurs or for a detailed discussion of captured processes with the user. Linguistic knowledge, especially antonymous verb pairs, is considered to decide whether a captured process will be integrated into the structural database design and/or the process list of the design.

Linguistic based search facilities in snowflake-like database schemes

Development of generic and general search is one of the most difficult tasks in website development. In practical day life search is not as difficult. The simplification is based on association and context facilities provided by the language and the application area.We aim in developing a simple and powerful approach to search based on a generalization of the theory of word fields to concept fields and providing an appropriate meta-structuring within database schemata that reflects context- or application-based search in a more appropriate way. The internal meta-structuring is based on star and snowflake meta-structures within the schema.

GETESS: Constructing a Linguistic Search Index for an Internet Search Engine

In this paper, we illustrate how Internet documents can be automatically analyzed in order to capture the content of a document in a more detailed manner than usual. The result of the document analysis is called an abstract, and will it be used as a linguistic search index for the Internet search engine, GETESS. We show how the linguistic analysis system SMES can be used with a Harvest-based search engine for constructing a linguistic search index. Further, we denote how the linguistic index can be exploited for answering user search inquiries.

A heuristic approach for recognizing a document's language used for the Internet search engine GETESS

The authors illustrate how Internet documents can be automatically analyzed in order to identify the documents language. This language knowledge is then used for the Internet search engine, GETESS. The aim of the language classification heuristics is to ensure that documents with the same content, but different languages (e.g. in German and English), will not simultaneously be presented to the user as search results. The GETESS search engine only provides the results in the language relevant to the user. Consequently, the search-result set is narrower and more appropriately fits the needs of the user.