Generalized formal models for faceted user interfaces

ABSTRACT

Faceted metadata and navigation have become major topics in library science, information retrieval and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). This work surveys a range of extant approaches in this design space, classifying systems along several relevant dimensions. We use that survey to analyze the organization of data and its querying within faceted browsing systems. We contribute formal entity-relationship (ER) and relational data models that explain that organization and relational query models that explain systems' browsing functionality. We use these types of models since they are widely used to conceptualize data and to model back-end data stores. Their structured nature also suggests ways in which both the models and faceted systems might be extended.

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Index Terms

• Information systems

  • Data management systems

    • Database design and models