Using natural language generation to provide access to semantic metadata

• Main Author: Hielkema, Feikje
• Published: University of Aberdeen 2010
• Subjects: 020; Metadata : Natural language processing (Computer science) : Semantic computing : Semantic Web
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.521315

In recent years, the use of using metadata to describe and share resources has grown in importance, especially in the context of the Semantic Web.  However, access to metadata is difficult for users without experience with description logic or formal languages, and currently this description applies to most web users.  There is a strong need for interfaces that provide easy access to semantic metadata, enabling novice users to browse, query and create it easily. This thesis describes a natural language generation interface to semantic metadata called LIBER (Language Interface for Browsing and Editing Rdf), driven by domain ontologies which are integrated with domain-specific linguistic information.  LIBER uses the linguistic information to generate fluent descriptions and search terms through syntactic aggregation. The tool contains three modules to support metadata creation, querying and browsing, which implement the WYSIWYM (What You See Is What You Meant) natural language generation approach.  Users can add and remove information by editing system-generated feedback texts.  Two studies have been conducted to evaluate LIBER’s usability, and compare it to a different Semantic Web interface.  The studies showed subjects with no prior experience of the Semantic Web could use LIBER effectively to create, search and browse metadata, and were a useful source of ideas in which to improve LIBER’s usability.  However, the results of these studies were less positive than we had hoped, and users actually preferred the other Semantic Web tool.  This has raised questions about which user audience LIBER should aim for, and the extent to which the underlying ontologies influence the usability of the interface. LIBER’s portability to other domains is supported by a tool with which ontology developers without a background in linguistics can prepare their ontologies for use in LIBER by adding the necessary linguistic information.