This research team aims to extract information from such web-like collections by considering both the content of the items and the link structure that connects them, and the interaction of both components.
Dr. Jeannette Janssen , Dalhousie University & Dr. Evangelos Milios , Dalhousie University
The development of the Internet and the World Wide Web has changed the way in which we gather information. No longer is information only available as in a library, with items catalogued in an orderly manner. More and more often, information is presented as it is in the World Wide Web: as a mass of items with interconnecting links. This research team aims to extract information from such web-like collections by considering both the content of the items and the link structure that connects them, and the interaction of both components. Recently, the team has developed a new way to model web collections. The new model will lead to better methods to identify Web pages relevant to a specific query and distinguish communities in online social networks and discussion groups. The team also studied patterns of email use, aiming to detect significant changes in those patterns, which can point to the planning of events that are out of the ordinary, from weddings to terrorist attacks.