Issues and Challenges in Building Multilingual Information Access Systems

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors start their discussion highlighting the importance of Cross Lingual and Multilingual Information Retrieval and access research areas. They then discuss the distinction between Cross Language Information Retrieval (CLIR), Multilingual Information Retrieval (MLIR), Cross Language Information Access (CLIA), and Multilingual Information Access (MLIA) research areas. In addition, in further sections, issues and challenges in these areas are outlined, and various approaches, including machine learning-based and knowledge-based approaches to address the multilingual information access, are discussed. The authors describe various subsystems of a MLIA system ranging from query processing to output generation by sharing their experience of building a MLIA system and discuss its architecture. Then evaluation aspects of the MLIA and CLIA systems are discussed at the end of this chapter.