1. Information Retrieval Lab
CSC 9010: Special Topics. Natural Language Processing.
Paula Matuszek, Mary-Angela Papalaskari
Spring, 2005
CSC 9010: Special Topics, Natural Language Processing. Spring, Matuszek & Papalaskari

2. Exploring some IR tools
You are probably all familiar with web-based IR tools, but we are going to play with three rather different ones today, mostly to look at their cababilities.
Google advanced search:
Teoma:
MedLine:
CSC 9010: Special Topics, Natural Language Processing. Spring, Matuszek & Papalaskari

3. Each of these tools has basic and advanced interfaces.
Basic Interface
Each of these tools has basic and advanced interfaces.
Try some queries on the basic interfaces
Then try some advanced query interfaces.
From Pubmed/Medline, click on the Limits tab to get to it.
What do they have in common?
How do they differ?
CSC 9010: Special Topics, Natural Language Processing. Spring, Matuszek & Papalaskari

4. Some Features of Each
Google uses primarily a citation graph weighting to determine relevance, rather than keyword or other linguistic factors.
MedLine has a careful controlled vocabulary which can be used from the Limits tab
Teoma takes questions, not just keywords, and the results page includes a “Refine” section.
CSC 9010: Special Topics, Natural Language Processing. Spring, Matuszek & Papalaskari

5. What worked well in the different engines?
Exercise
Look for answers to these questions in the different engines: (some won’t give you much in MedLine)
What are effective treatments for Type 2 diabetes?
What towns are in North Carolina’s Outer Banks ?
Where can I open a checking account in Villanova?
And try some of your own.
What worked well in the different engines?
Did the special features help?
CSC 9010: Special Topics, Natural Language Processing. Spring, Matuszek & Papalaskari