A Novel Visualization Model for Web Search Results An Application of the Solar System Metaphor Tien N. Nguyen and Jin Zhang Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Iowa State University USA

2 Motivation WWW becomes an important source of information. WWW becomes an important source of information. Internet search engines provide tremendous help in information seeking. Internet search engines provide tremendous help in information seeking. Search engines present relevant Web pages in a list with titles and short paragraph descriptions extracted from the texts. Search engines present relevant Web pages in a list with titles and short paragraph descriptions extracted from the texts. Browsing the ranked list can become rather tedious and unproductive. Browsing the ranked list can become rather tedious and unproductive.

3 Motivation The order of keywords used in a query also affects the final outcomes of a search. The order of keywords used in a query also affects the final outcomes of a search. information system, system information information system, system information A word or a phrase can have multiple meanings depending on different contexts. A word or a phrase can have multiple meanings depending on different contexts. information visualization information visualization Contextual information or topics of interest can only be introduced as a different query. Contextual information or topics of interest can only be introduced as a different query. software visualization software visualization

4 Web Search Result Viz Must provide an effective guide in searching for needed information Must provide an effective guide in searching for needed information Controllable and adaptable Controllable and adaptable Abstraction of our visualization problem Abstraction of our visualization problem The query The query The search results The search results Context information or topics of interest Context information or topics of interest Semantic relations Semantic relations Degree of relevanceDegree of relevance

5 Solar System as Metaphor All planets and asteroids rotate around the sun in the universe. All planets and asteroids rotate around the sun in the universe. Each of them has its own orbit and a moving speed. Each of them has its own orbit and a moving speed. They are attracted to each other by gravity. They are attracted to each other by gravity. It is gravity that determines the orbit and moving speed of an asteroid. It is gravity that determines the orbit and moving speed of an asteroid.

6 Solar System as Metaphor

7 (Query) (Page) (Subject) LocationLocation DistanceDistance ColorColor SpeedSpeed GravityGravity

8 Generalization Applications WebWebsearch PaperPapercitationVisualization HyperlinkHyperlinkstructure

9 WebSearchViz Space

10 Parameter Computation R is the radius. R is the radius. Sim ij is the semantic strength between two entities (e.g. between a page and a query, or between a page and a subject). It is between 0 and 1. Sim ij is the semantic strength between two entities (e.g. between a page and a query, or between a page and a subject). It is between 0 and 1. Context icons are anchored on the circumference. Objects are inside the circle. Context icons are anchored on the circumference. Objects are inside the circle. The distance of an object The distance of an object d i = R x (1 – Sim i,center ) d i = R x (1 – Sim i,center ) Objects with high Sims are close to center. Objects with high Sims are close to center.

11 WebSearchViz Space ( k, R+cons)

12 Parameter Computation The angle of an object against X-axis: The angle of an object against X-axis: If Sim 1i + … + Sim mi <> 0 If Sim 1i + … + Sim mi <> 0 If an object that is irrelevant to any displayed contexts, i is defined as zero. If an object that is irrelevant to any displayed contexts, i is defined as zero. That is, it is projected onto the X-axis. That is, it is projected onto the X-axis.

13 Rotations and Analyses Activate a context icon to rotate evenly around the circumference. Activate a context icon to rotate evenly around the circumference. Assume that the moving speed of a specified context is degrees per second; and its angle is r with initial value of 0. Assume that the moving speed of a specified context is degrees per second; and its angle is r with initial value of 0. The dynamic angle of an object i is The dynamic angle of an object i is

14 Rotations and Analyses The rotation speed of an object i is The rotation speed of an object i is All affected objects (i.e. objects that are somewhat related to the rotating context) will move evenly in their orbits. All affected objects (i.e. objects that are somewhat related to the rotating context) will move evenly in their orbits. The moving speed is affected primarily by Sim ri, the degree of relevance between object i and context r. The moving speed is affected primarily by Sim ri, the degree of relevance between object i and context r.

15 Rotations and Analyses If Sim ri = 0 (no relevance between object i and context r), the object stays put. If Sim ri = 0 (no relevance between object i and context r), the object stays put. If an object is only relevant to the moving context and is not to others, it has the same speed as the moving context: If an object is only relevant to the moving context and is not to others, it has the same speed as the moving context:

16 Rotations and Analyses In this case, the object icon is always located on the line connecting the moving context and the center. In this case, the object icon is always located on the line connecting the moving context and the center.

17 Project ambiguity Project ambiguity: many objects in a high- dimensional space are projected into low- dimensional space. Project ambiguity: many objects in a high- dimensional space are projected into low- dimensional space. Project ambiguity and a large number of objects can cause visual occlusion. Project ambiguity and a large number of objects can cause visual occlusion. Two objects are projected onto the same points if their Sim value is 1. Two objects are projected onto the same points if their Sim value is 1. Overlapping icons can be disambiguated via changing the positions of contexts. Overlapping icons can be disambiguated via changing the positions of contexts.

18 Visual Occlusion To handle overlapping in the case of many objects: To handle overlapping in the case of many objects: Automatic clustering/grouping functionality Automatic clustering/grouping functionality Zoom in and zoom out Zoom in and zoom out For Web search results: We provide focus page shifting functionality For Web search results: We provide focus page shifting functionality A page can become the new centerA page can become the new center Surrounding objects are relevant pages.Surrounding objects are relevant pages.

19 WebSearchViz system (Query) (Page) (Subject) LocationLocation DistanceDistance ColorColor SpeedSpeed

20 WebSearchViz architecture Search Engine A query Web search results Lexical Analysis Visualization Mechanism Vector-based representation Vector-based representation Subjects of interest Display

21 Vector-based Representation Keyword 1 Keyword j Keyword p Page Page Page i W ij … Page n W ij is computed via a modified version of theW ij is computed via a modified version of the TF-IDF algorithm Each Web page is represented by a row (a vector). Each Web page is represented by a row (a vector). Similarity of two pages (Sim) is computed via a combination of cosine and Euclidean distance values.Similarity of two pages (Sim) is computed via a combination of cosine and Euclidean distance values. A query or a subject is represented as a vector.A query or a subject is represented as a vector.

22 Subject Definition

23 WebSearchViz System ~tien/WebSearchViz

24 Conclusions Solar System provides a nice metaphor for the novel visualization model Solar System provides a nice metaphor for the novel visualization model The use of movement and speed adds an extra dimension into a visual space, illustrating the semantic connections among objects. The use of movement and speed adds an extra dimension into a visual space, illustrating the semantic connections among objects. Web Search result visualization Web Search result visualization Accommodate the changes of preferences and subjects of interest Accommodate the changes of preferences and subjects of interest

25 Thank you Tien N. Nguyen Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Iowa State University