Abstract
Contextual information extracted from the user task can help to better target retrieval to task-relevant content. In particular, topical context can be exploited to identify the subject of the information needs, contributing to reduce the information overload problem. A great number of methods exist to extract raw context data and contextual interaction patterns from the user task and to model this information using higher-level representations. Context can then be used as a source for automatic query generation, or as a means to refine or disambiguate user-generated queries. It can also be used to filter and rank results as well as to select domain-specific search engines with better capabilities to satisfy specific information requests. This article reviews methods that have been applied to deal with the problem of reflecting the current and long-term interests of a user in the search process. It discusses major difficulties encountered in the research area of context-based information retrieval and presents an overview of tools proposed since the mid-nineties to deal with the problem of context-based search.
Highlights
Context-based search is the process of seeking material based on the user situation
Rather than presenting an overview of context-aware systems from a general perspective, this review focuses on the problem of context-based search, where context refers to the topical context extracted from the user task
It presents a revision of techniques and existing research proposals aimed at dealing with the problem of reflecting the topical context and contextual interaction patterns in the search process
Summary
Context-based search is the process of seeking material based on the user situation. A context-aware information retrieval system should be able to monitor the activity in which users are involved, identify their search preferences, infer their state and goals, learn what information will help to fulfill these goals, find this information and decide when and how this information should be presented. Context refers to information that is related to the user current state and physical environment It is usually associated with ephemeral data and may include heterogeneous elements such as the current task, information state, emotional state, date, time, season, location, orientation, temperature, lighting level, noise, resources around, people around and global mood, among others. Rather than presenting an overview of context-aware systems from a general perspective, this review focuses on the problem of context-based search, where context refers to the topical context extracted from the user task It presents a revision of techniques and existing research proposals aimed at dealing with the problem of reflecting the topical context and contextual interaction patterns in the search process. Traces the evolution of task-based context-aware tools from the mid-nineties to the present days and discusses new progress and research directions
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