Ali Shiri | University of Alberta (original) (raw)

Papers by Ali Shiri

Research paper thumbnail of Enhancing Information Retrieval Capabilities of Knowledge Management Systems

Knowledge Management and Drivers of Innovation in Services Industries, 2012

User support services face complex problems in the efficient and satisfactory delivery of service... more User support services face complex problems in the efficient and satisfactory delivery of services to users. Knowledge management (KM) principles can be effectively implemented within this organizational context to support efficient and effective problem solving to improve service delivery to the users. A KM system with good information retrieval capabilities is critical in empowering front line employees to utilize organizational knowledge repositories for better service delivery. The purpose of this chapter is to present different aspects of the major information retrieval techniques that can be used in a user services environment and to propose new models to enhance retrieval capabilities of KM systems. The authors discuss the basic elements that make up an information retrieval system including metadata, controlled, and uncontrolled vocabularies. The authors also propose three experimental search interfaces for enhancing information retrieval capabilities of a KM system. The first uses a thesaurus for enhanced retrieval features through better query formulation and browsing of search results; the second uses the tag cloud concept to present thesaurus terms; and the third combines the structure of a controlled vocabulary with the flexibility of a folksonomy and tag cloud, thus incorporating the beneficial aspects of both uncontrolled and controlled vocabularies to support retrieval within a heterogeneous corporate environment.

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Research paper thumbnail of Evolving and Emerging Trends in Digital Libraries User Interfaces

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Research paper thumbnail of An Analysis of Seasonal and Topical Queries in a Large Public Library to Support User Engagement

This paper reports on an investigation of user queries submitted to the Edmonton Public Library d... more This paper reports on an investigation of user queries submitted to the Edmonton Public Library discovery system to identify seasonal and temporal queries. Using Google Analytics data and text analysis tools, this study examines how user queries change over time, particularly during summer months, weekdays and weekends.

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Research paper thumbnail of Interoperability models

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Research paper thumbnail of Development of A Thesaurus-enhanced Visual Interface for Multilingual Digital Libraries

Proceedings of the 35th …, 2007

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Research paper thumbnail of Thesaurus-enhanced visual interfaces for multilingual information retrieval

Proceedings of The Asist Annual Meeting, 2006

User interfaces to information retrieval systems play a major role in assisting users to search, ... more User interfaces to information retrieval systems play a major role in assisting users to search, browse and retrieve information relevant to their needs. Recently, commercial information retrieval system vendors have incorporated thesauri into search interfaces in order to assist users in the process of search term selection, query formulation and expansion. Some of these systems have provided thesaurus facilities only in advanced search modes while others have provided the facilities on main search pages. The aim of this paper is to report on the development of a visual interface for multilingual thesauri to support thesaurus-based browsing and searching of multilingual digital collections.

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Research paper thumbnail of Searchling: User-Centered Evaluation of a Visual Thesaurus-Enhanced Interface for Bilingual Digital Libraries

Research and Advanced …, 2008

In this paper, we describe a qualitative user study of Searchling – an experimental visual interf... more In this paper, we describe a qualitative user study of Searchling – an experimental visual interface that allows users to leverage a bilingual thesaurus for query formulation and enhancement. The design of Searchling is based on theories of thesaurus-based interface design from Shiri et al. [1], combined with the principles of rich-prospect browsing [2]. The Searchling interface provides the user with three working spaces on one screen: the Thesaurus space, Query space, and Document space. We interviewed 15 graduate and faculty researchers at the University of Alberta, who carried out three structured tasks in a thinkaloud protocol, with simultaneous audio recording and screen capture. These participants identified a number of significant advantages to the researcher provided by Searchling, including the value of having an interface that could help with identifying search terms, suggesting preferred terms, and giving bilingual search support. They also suggested areas for future improvement, primarily related to our assumption that common knowledge of thesauri would be sufficient to make the various features clear if they were described using standard vocabulary from the thesaurus field.

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Research paper thumbnail of User evaluation of Searchling: a visual interface for bilingual digital libraries

The Electronic Library, 2011

Purpose – This paper seeks to describe a qualitative user study of Searchling – an experimental v... more Purpose – This paper seeks to describe a qualitative user study of Searchling – an experimental visual interface that allows users to leverage a bilingual thesaurus for query formulation and enhancement. Design/methodology/approach – The design of Searchling is based on theories of thesaurus-based interface design, combined with the principles of rich-prospect browsing. The Searchling interface provides the user with three

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Research paper thumbnail of Electronic Cataloging: AACR2 and Metadata for Serials and Monographs20045Sheila S. Intner, Sally C. Tseng and Mary Lynette Larsgaard. Electronic Cataloging: AACR2 and Metadata for Serials and Monographs . Binghampton, NY: The Howarth Information Press 2003. 182 pp., ISBN: 0‐7890‐2225‐7 $29.95

Library Review, 2004

Part two follows with four papers on how libraries can employ metadata. The papers in this part h... more Part two follows with four papers on how libraries can employ metadata. The papers in this part have dealt with a range of practical issues concerning metadata creation, formats, standards and schemas. Some of the standards and formats touched on are MARC, AACR2, Dublin Core, XML, RDF and OAI. How metadata and cataloguing rules can contribute to improved resource description and discovery on the Internet and the significance of metadata in the context of the Web environment are among the issues discussed in part two. This part is followed by a ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Linked Data Meets Big Data: A Knowledge Organization Systems Perspective

Advances in Classification Research Online, 2014

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Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge organization and international information retrieval

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Research paper thumbnail of Dennis M. Nicholson Alan Dawson

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Research paper thumbnail of Metadata: A cataloger's primer

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Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of the Research Learning Needs of the University of Saskatchewan Librarians: A Case Study

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Research paper thumbnail of The Many Facets of ‘Query’ in Interactive Information Retrieval

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Research paper thumbnail of Digital Library Interoperability: Proposing a Model

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Research paper thumbnail of An Examination of User Queries in a Nanotechnology Digital Library

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Research paper thumbnail of IPP2012: Big Data, Big Challenges? Ali Shiri: Typology and Analysis of Big Data: An Information Science Prospective

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Research paper thumbnail of Dynamic Query Suggestion in Web Search Engines: A Comparative Examination

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Research paper thumbnail of User Evaluation of Searchling and T-saurus: Multilingual Thesaurus-Enhanced Visual Interfaces for Digital Libraries/Évaluation par les usagers de Searchling et de T-saurus: Les interfaces visuelles à thesaurus multilingue pour les bibliothèques numériques

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Research paper thumbnail of Enhancing Information Retrieval Capabilities of Knowledge Management Systems

Knowledge Management and Drivers of Innovation in Services Industries, 2012

User support services face complex problems in the efficient and satisfactory delivery of service... more User support services face complex problems in the efficient and satisfactory delivery of services to users. Knowledge management (KM) principles can be effectively implemented within this organizational context to support efficient and effective problem solving to improve service delivery to the users. A KM system with good information retrieval capabilities is critical in empowering front line employees to utilize organizational knowledge repositories for better service delivery. The purpose of this chapter is to present different aspects of the major information retrieval techniques that can be used in a user services environment and to propose new models to enhance retrieval capabilities of KM systems. The authors discuss the basic elements that make up an information retrieval system including metadata, controlled, and uncontrolled vocabularies. The authors also propose three experimental search interfaces for enhancing information retrieval capabilities of a KM system. The first uses a thesaurus for enhanced retrieval features through better query formulation and browsing of search results; the second uses the tag cloud concept to present thesaurus terms; and the third combines the structure of a controlled vocabulary with the flexibility of a folksonomy and tag cloud, thus incorporating the beneficial aspects of both uncontrolled and controlled vocabularies to support retrieval within a heterogeneous corporate environment.

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Research paper thumbnail of Evolving and Emerging Trends in Digital Libraries User Interfaces

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Research paper thumbnail of An Analysis of Seasonal and Topical Queries in a Large Public Library to Support User Engagement

This paper reports on an investigation of user queries submitted to the Edmonton Public Library d... more This paper reports on an investigation of user queries submitted to the Edmonton Public Library discovery system to identify seasonal and temporal queries. Using Google Analytics data and text analysis tools, this study examines how user queries change over time, particularly during summer months, weekdays and weekends.

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Research paper thumbnail of Interoperability models

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Research paper thumbnail of Development of A Thesaurus-enhanced Visual Interface for Multilingual Digital Libraries

Proceedings of the 35th …, 2007

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Research paper thumbnail of Thesaurus-enhanced visual interfaces for multilingual information retrieval

Proceedings of The Asist Annual Meeting, 2006

User interfaces to information retrieval systems play a major role in assisting users to search, ... more User interfaces to information retrieval systems play a major role in assisting users to search, browse and retrieve information relevant to their needs. Recently, commercial information retrieval system vendors have incorporated thesauri into search interfaces in order to assist users in the process of search term selection, query formulation and expansion. Some of these systems have provided thesaurus facilities only in advanced search modes while others have provided the facilities on main search pages. The aim of this paper is to report on the development of a visual interface for multilingual thesauri to support thesaurus-based browsing and searching of multilingual digital collections.

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Research paper thumbnail of Searchling: User-Centered Evaluation of a Visual Thesaurus-Enhanced Interface for Bilingual Digital Libraries

Research and Advanced …, 2008

In this paper, we describe a qualitative user study of Searchling – an experimental visual interf... more In this paper, we describe a qualitative user study of Searchling – an experimental visual interface that allows users to leverage a bilingual thesaurus for query formulation and enhancement. The design of Searchling is based on theories of thesaurus-based interface design from Shiri et al. [1], combined with the principles of rich-prospect browsing [2]. The Searchling interface provides the user with three working spaces on one screen: the Thesaurus space, Query space, and Document space. We interviewed 15 graduate and faculty researchers at the University of Alberta, who carried out three structured tasks in a thinkaloud protocol, with simultaneous audio recording and screen capture. These participants identified a number of significant advantages to the researcher provided by Searchling, including the value of having an interface that could help with identifying search terms, suggesting preferred terms, and giving bilingual search support. They also suggested areas for future improvement, primarily related to our assumption that common knowledge of thesauri would be sufficient to make the various features clear if they were described using standard vocabulary from the thesaurus field.

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Research paper thumbnail of User evaluation of Searchling: a visual interface for bilingual digital libraries

The Electronic Library, 2011

Purpose – This paper seeks to describe a qualitative user study of Searchling – an experimental v... more Purpose – This paper seeks to describe a qualitative user study of Searchling – an experimental visual interface that allows users to leverage a bilingual thesaurus for query formulation and enhancement. Design/methodology/approach – The design of Searchling is based on theories of thesaurus-based interface design, combined with the principles of rich-prospect browsing. The Searchling interface provides the user with three

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Research paper thumbnail of Electronic Cataloging: AACR2 and Metadata for Serials and Monographs20045Sheila S. Intner, Sally C. Tseng and Mary Lynette Larsgaard. Electronic Cataloging: AACR2 and Metadata for Serials and Monographs . Binghampton, NY: The Howarth Information Press 2003. 182 pp., ISBN: 0‐7890‐2225‐7 $29.95

Library Review, 2004

Part two follows with four papers on how libraries can employ metadata. The papers in this part h... more Part two follows with four papers on how libraries can employ metadata. The papers in this part have dealt with a range of practical issues concerning metadata creation, formats, standards and schemas. Some of the standards and formats touched on are MARC, AACR2, Dublin Core, XML, RDF and OAI. How metadata and cataloguing rules can contribute to improved resource description and discovery on the Internet and the significance of metadata in the context of the Web environment are among the issues discussed in part two. This part is followed by a ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Linked Data Meets Big Data: A Knowledge Organization Systems Perspective

Advances in Classification Research Online, 2014

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge organization and international information retrieval

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Dennis M. Nicholson Alan Dawson

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Metadata: A cataloger's primer

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of the Research Learning Needs of the University of Saskatchewan Librarians: A Case Study

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of The Many Facets of ‘Query’ in Interactive Information Retrieval

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Research paper thumbnail of Digital Library Interoperability: Proposing a Model

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of An Examination of User Queries in a Nanotechnology Digital Library

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Research paper thumbnail of IPP2012: Big Data, Big Challenges? Ali Shiri: Typology and Analysis of Big Data: An Information Science Prospective

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Research paper thumbnail of Dynamic Query Suggestion in Web Search Engines: A Comparative Examination

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Research paper thumbnail of User Evaluation of Searchling and T-saurus: Multilingual Thesaurus-Enhanced Visual Interfaces for Digital Libraries/Évaluation par les usagers de Searchling et de T-saurus: Les interfaces visuelles à thesaurus multilingue pour les bibliothèques numériques

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Research paper thumbnail of Powering Search: The Role of Thesauri in New Information Environments.

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the role of thesauri in search user interfaces ac... more This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the role of thesauri in search user interfaces across a range of information search and retrieval systems—from bibliographic and full-text databases to digital libraries, portals, open archives, and content management systems. It explores various projects, practices, perspectives, and services from disparate communities, and—drawing on an array of successful applications, usability studies, current research, and firsthand experience—offers practical guidance on using thesauri to build better search engines.

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