Semantic information vs. library services
Jolanta Szulc
The article aims to present areas of application, acquisition and processing of semantic information in library and information activities. In the first part of the article the definitions of semantic information in the context of semantic information theory was discussed. Various theories of (semantic) information are currently being developed. These are, among others, Bar-Hillel and Carnap's theory of semantic information, Dretske’s semantic information theory and Floridi's theory of semantic information. In the second part of the article selected projects and research results were discussed.
(1) Building a model of semantic information retrieval based on co-occurrence analysis. Semantic information retrieval research leads to finding common features between co-occurrence analysis and ontology. Ontology and co-occurrence analysis have strong similarities in theoretical ideas, data types, expressions, and applications.
(2) Visualizing the OPAC thematic headlines. Semantic information encapsulated within OPAC subject headings can be visualized. Subject headings and their relationships constitute the nodes and arcs respectively of the graph. Such a structure may be encoded in a variety of semantic technologies implementing subject-based classification.
(3) Analyzing the syntactic differences between the structure of classification systems and the structure of categorization systems. These distinctions lead to significant differences in contexts in which information can be apprehended. Structural and semantic differences between classification and categorization are differences that influence the semantic information available to the user and the information system.
(4) Developing the Semantic Digital Libraries. These studies include, among others, semantic web-related aspects of current digital libraries activities, and their functionality. They show examples ranging from general architectural descriptions to detailed usages of ontologies and semantic technologies.
(5) Preparing the conceptual model of the organization of user needs information in the big data environment. The Web of Needs model based on Linked Data techniques. This model has three layers: the Data Layer, the Semantic Layer and the Application Layer. This model allows to organize semantic knowledge resources more efficiently in the big data environment.
The summary and conclusions were presented in the last part of the article. New trends in the semantic information research, including the creation of semantic memory models or the Luciano Floridi's theory of semantic information, were emphasized.
University of Silesia, PL
[email protected]
The article aims to present areas of application, acquisition and processing of semantic information in library and information activities. In the first part of the article the definitions of semantic information in the context of semantic information theory was discussed. Various theories of (semantic) information are currently being developed. These are, among others, Bar-Hillel and Carnap's theory of semantic information, Dretske’s semantic information theory and Floridi's theory of semantic information. In the second part of the article selected projects and research results were discussed.
(1) Building a model of semantic information retrieval based on co-occurrence analysis. Semantic information retrieval research leads to finding common features between co-occurrence analysis and ontology. Ontology and co-occurrence analysis have strong similarities in theoretical ideas, data types, expressions, and applications.
(2) Visualizing the OPAC thematic headlines. Semantic information encapsulated within OPAC subject headings can be visualized. Subject headings and their relationships constitute the nodes and arcs respectively of the graph. Such a structure may be encoded in a variety of semantic technologies implementing subject-based classification.
(3) Analyzing the syntactic differences between the structure of classification systems and the structure of categorization systems. These distinctions lead to significant differences in contexts in which information can be apprehended. Structural and semantic differences between classification and categorization are differences that influence the semantic information available to the user and the information system.
(4) Developing the Semantic Digital Libraries. These studies include, among others, semantic web-related aspects of current digital libraries activities, and their functionality. They show examples ranging from general architectural descriptions to detailed usages of ontologies and semantic technologies.
(5) Preparing the conceptual model of the organization of user needs information in the big data environment. The Web of Needs model based on Linked Data techniques. This model has three layers: the Data Layer, the Semantic Layer and the Application Layer. This model allows to organize semantic knowledge resources more efficiently in the big data environment.
The summary and conclusions were presented in the last part of the article. New trends in the semantic information research, including the creation of semantic memory models or the Luciano Floridi's theory of semantic information, were emphasized.
University of Silesia, PL
[email protected]