Spatialization of Web sites using a weighted frequency model of navigation data

Abstract

A common problem in the spatialization of information systems is the determination of geometry; i.e., dimensionality and metric. Such geometry is either chosen a priori or is inferred a posteriori from secondary data. Recent work emphasizes the use of geometric information latent in a system's navigational record. Resolving this information from its noisy background, however, requires an unambiguous criterion of selection. In this paper we use a previously published, statistical method for resolving a Web-based information system's geometry from navigational data. However, because of the method's (theoretical) sensitivity to data selection, a weighted frequency correction based on empirical probability distributions is applied. The effect of this correction on the Web-space geometry is investigated. Results indicate that the inferred geometry is robust; i.e., it does not significantly change under this probabilistic correction.

Information Space Partitioning Using Adaptive Voronoi Diagrams

“…To derive an information space from the system's use data, we used the procedure proposed by Buttenfield & Reitsma. 43,44 Their method is based on two assumptions. First, as two pages get associated with each other frequently, for example as evidenced through frequent hyperlinking, they will be placed in close proximity in the information space.…”