Teaching code

4S02367

Teacher

Coordinatore

Credits

6

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

INF/01 - INFORMATICS

Period

First half of Semester 1 , Second half of Semester 1

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars

Learning outcomes

During the course, we will study and analyze the main and fundamental aspects the information retrieval systems (IRSs) are based on. In particular, the course will focus on web-based IRSs.

Different kinds of IRSs will be studied, providing an as much as possible complete and up-to-dated picture of the IRS services now available and used by all of us. These IRSs will be analyzed and compared, showing their pros and cons, differences and similarities.

Several examples of actual and commonly used IRSs will be provided, showing how previously studied theoretical principles are applied and how current systems are evolving including new and peculiar features.

Program

Contents and studying materials are the same for attending and non-attending students.

Prerequisite: basic notions of computer science and computer technologies.

Coursework:
1. Information retrieval systems
• Introduction to information retrieval systems
• IR models
• Retrieval metrics

2. Text analysis
• Document preprocessing
• Text indexing
• Zipf's law
• Stemming and stop-lists
• Thesauri

3. Introduction to multimedia information retrieval systems
• Features and goals
• Main issues

4. Introduction to user interfaces for search
• How user interface biases searches
• Retrieval results display

5. Web retrieval
• Web, features and structure
• Search engines
• Basic notions and architecture
• Search and ranking of web pages
• Search engine user interaction
• Web spam
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Semantic search engines (notions)
• Search based on user profile
• Hidden/deep web and anonymous networks
• Federated search and metasearch
• Aggregators and web feeds
• Recommender systems

6. Structured text retrieval
• Basic notions about semistructured data
• Structured text retrieval models
• Introduction to XML
• XML and digital libraries

7. Brief presentation of information retrieval systems and software
• WolframAlpha: a natural language search engine
• Eurovoc: the official European Union thesaurus

Teaching method: frontal lecture.

Examination Methods

Written examination consisting of open questions about the concepts exposed during the lessons.

The slides and studying material provided by the teacher are enough to prepare the exam. Suggested books are intended for integration and in-depth study.

It is possible to participate to any number of exams during the academic year. Who received a sufficient mark can ask to do not register it and try to get a better result in subsequent exams. However, who participates to an exam will lose any positive mark previously gained, even if subsequent exams are worse or not positive.