InfoCrystal: A visual tool for information retrieval

Author

Spoerri, Anselm

Author_Institution

Center for Educational Comput. Initiatives, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA

fYear

1993

fDate

25-29 Oct 1993

Firstpage

150

Lastpage

157

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel representation, called the InfoCrystal, that can be used as a visualization tool as well as a visual query language to help users search for information. The InfoCrystal visualizes all the possible relationships among N concepts. Users can assign relevance weights to the concepts and use thresholding to select relationships of interest. The InfoCrystal allows users to specify Boolean as well as vector-space queries graphically. Arbitrarily complex queries can be created by using the InfoCrystals as building blocks and organizing them in a hierarchical structure. The InfoCrystal enables users to explore and filter information in a flexible, dynamic and interactive way

Keywords

Boolean algebra; data visualisation; graphical user interfaces; information retrieval systems; query languages; query processing; visual databases; Boolean queries; InfoCrystal; arbitrarily complex queries; graphics; hierarchical structure; information filtering; information retrieval; interactive system; relationships; relevance weights; search; thresholding; users; vector-space queries; visual query language; visual tool; visualization tool; Data visualization; Database languages; Educational technology; Information filtering; Information filters; Information retrieval; Marine vehicles; Organizing; Space exploration; Switches;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Visualization, 1993. Visualization '93, Proceedings., IEEE Conference on

Conference_Location

San Jose, CA

Print_ISBN

0-8186-3940-7

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/VISUAL.1993.398863

Filename

398863