Towards data abstraction in networked information retrieval systems

摘要

Networked information retrieval aims at the interoperability of heterogeneous information retrieval (IR) systems. In this paper, we show how differences concerning search operators and database schemas can be handled by applying data abstraction concepts in combination with uncertain inference. Different data types with vague predicates are required to allow for queries referring to arbitrary attributes of documents. Physical data independence separates search operators from access paths, thus solving text search problems related to noun phrases, compound words and proper nouns. Projection and inheritance on attributes support the creation of unified views on a set of IR databases. Uncertain inference allows for query processing even on incompatible database schemas.