Project Title:

Memory Extension (ME) System for Context Based Associative

Analysis and Simulation, Inc.
172 Holtz Road
Buffalo, New York 14225

93-1-

Memory Extension (ME) System for Context Based Associative
Information Retrieval

Abstract:

This effort will apply an innovative context-sensitive
spreading-activation measure to compute relevance measures to
rank information objects. It will also use psychometrically
measured preference functions to  update both query
characterizations and information object characterizations. Phase
I will demonstrate the ability of spreading-activation to rank
objects available for retrieval and reflect psychometrically 
measured preference functions of the query submitted on a UNIX
workstation. Phase II will extend them to wide-area information
server (WAIS) architectures using the ANSI Z-39.50 protocol and
to multimedia objects including audio, video, photographs or any
other data relevant to a stated request. The resulting
information retrieval system will be capable of extending mental
models NASA scientists and engineers have of their information
needs to distributed heterogeneous data in WAIS databases and
other data sources, such as those associated with the CERN World
Wide Web project. This will include usage-based dynamic updating
of the weighted association network used to find and rank
information available for retrieval.

Include Memory Extension (ME) systems (applications) for UNIX,
MS-Windows, and Macintosh work-stations connected to networks,
such as the Internet. Daemons that would reside on remote systems
to support spreading-activation searches and associated
characterization network link weight updates.  Value-added
products for improving searches by users of commercial
information services, such as Dialog and CompuServe, are also
possibilities, along with more effective library search systems.

Information Retrieval Spreading Activitation Memory Context
Ranked Software