MarQO: A query optimizer in multilingual environment for information retrieval in Marathi language

Abstract

Information retrieval is a crucial component of modern information systems. A significant portion of the vast amount of information stored worldwide is in local languages. While most information retrieval systems are designed primarily for English, there is a growing need for these systems to work with data in languages other than English. Cross Language Information Retrieval (CLIR) systems play a pivotal role in enabling information retrieval across multiple languages. However, these systems often face challenges due to ambiguities in query translation, impacting retrieval accuracy. This paper introduces "MarQO," a query optimizer designed to address these challenges in the context of Marathi language. MarQO employs a multi-stage approach, including lexical processing, extraction of multi-word terms, synonym addition, phrasal translations, utilization of word co-occurrence statistics, and more. By disambiguating query keyword translations, MarQO significantly improves the accuracy of translations, thereby leading to more relevant document retrieval results.