An ontological cognitive user model for adapting generic Web structures

Adaptation and Personalization systems can benefit with the incorporation of ontological knowledge, especially when it comes to modeling users. In this paper we present a cognitive approach to Web Personalization based on an ontology that contains users´ cognitive factors. Accordingly, a human factors´ ontology has been designed and developed using RDFa, and could be used in any Web-based application for returning an optimized adaptive result to the user. A commercial Website was filtered through an adaptive mechanism based on that ontology. This mechanism is described by a proposed set of RDFa objects for the imminent dynamic transformation and enhancement of the Web-based content. Consequently this describes the adaptation of user interfaces to the individualistic preferences and needs of users. The expected impact of the content reconstruction lies in the increase of users´ satisfaction and efficiency of information processing, while users navigating in the personalized condition rather than the original one.