Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Generating customized yet factually consistent information: a constraint satisfaction approach

  • Regular Paper
  • Published:
International Journal on Digital Libraries Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present an information customization framework that leverages a hybrid of adaptive hypermedia and intelligent techniques, in particular constraint satisfaction methods, to generate customized and factually consistent information based on a user profile. Information customization is modeled as a constraint satisfaction problem, whereby a solution is derived by (a) satisfying user-model constraints to select a user-specific set of ‘information snippets’; and (b) establishing inter-snippet consistency to ensure that all snippets are compatible with each other. Our approach takes the unique step of establishing factually consistency – via the satisfaction of inter-snippet constraints – between heterogeneous information snippets. A customized information package is generated by systematically synthesizing the set of user-specific and factually consistent information snippets. The featured information customization framework incorporates variations of various search and constraint satisfaction methods. The work is applied in an E-Healthcare setting leading to the generation of customized healthcare information.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rust, R.T., Lemon, K.N.: E-service and the consumer. Int. J. Electron. Commun. 5(3), 85–102 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Helal, S., Su, S., Meng, J., Krithivasan, R., Jagatheesan, A.: The Internet enterprise. In: Proceedings of the Symposium on Application and the Internet, pp. 54–63. Nara City, Japan (2002)

  3. Zirpins, C., Weinreich, H., Bartelt, A., Lamersdorf, W.: Advanced concepts for next generation portals. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Workshop on Database and Expert Systems Applications, pp. 501–506. Munich, Germany (2001)

  4. Piccinelli, G., Salle, M., Zirpins, C.: Service-oriented modelling for e-business applications components. In: Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Workshops on Enabling Technologies: Infrastructure for Collaborative Enterprises (WET ICE), pp. 12–17. Cambridge, MA, USA (2001)

  5. Perkowitz, M., Etzioni, O.: Adaptive web sites. Commun. ACM 43(8), 152–158 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Fink, J., Koenemann, J., Noller, S., Schwab, I.: Putting personalization into practice. Commun. ACM 45(5), 41–42 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bogonikolos, N., Makris, C., Tsakalidis, A., Vassiliadis, B.: Adapting information presentation and retrieval through user modeling. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Technology: Coding and Computing, pp. 399–404. Las Vegas, NV, USA (2001)

  8. Zhang, Y., Im, I.: Recommender systems: a framework and research issues. In: Proceedings of the American Conference on Information Systems. Dallas, Texas, USA (2002)

  9. Abidi, S.S.R., Chong, Y., Abidi, S.R.: Patient empowerment via ‘pushed’ delivery of customized healthcare educational content over the internet. In: Proceedings of the 10th World Congress on Medical Informatics, London, 2001

  10. Kobsa, A.: Customized hypermedia presentation techniques for improving online customer relationships. Knowledge Eng. Rev. 16(2), 111–155 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Henze, N., Nejdl, W.: Extendible adaptive hypermedia courseware: integrating different courses and web material. In: Brusilovsky, P., Stock, O., Strappavara, C. (eds.) Adaptive Hypermedia and Adaptive Web-Based Systems, pp. 109–120. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2000)

  12. Brusilovsky, P., Kobsa, A., Vassileva, J. (eds.): Adaptive Hypertext and Hypermedia. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Brusilovsky, P.: Methods and techniques of adaptive hypermedia. In: Brusilovsky, P., Kobsa, A., Vassileva, J. (eds.) Adaptive Hypertext and Hypermedia, pp. 1–43. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Abidi, S.S.R.: Designing adaptive hypermedia for internet portals: a personalization strategy featuring case base reasoning with compositional adaptation. In: Garijo, F.J., Riquelme, J.C., Toro, M. (eds.) Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence 2527: Advances in Artificial Intelligence (IBERAMIA 2002), pp. 60–69. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2002)

  15. Burke, R.: Hybrid recommender systems: survey and experiments. User modeling and user-adapted interaction. 12(4), pp. 331–370. Dallas, Texas, USA (2002)

  16. Henze, N., Nejdl, W.: Extendible adaptive hypermedia courseware: integrating different courses and web material. In: Brusilovsky, P., Stock, O., Strappavara, C. (eds.) Adaptive Hypermedia and Adaptive Web-Based Systems, pp. 109–120. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kobsa, A., Muller, D., Nill, A.: KN-AHS: an adaptive hypermedia client of the user modeling system BGP-MS. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on User Modeling, pp. 99–105. Cape Cod, Massachusetts USA (1994)

  18. Boyle, C., Encarnacion, A.O.: MetaDoc: an adaptive hypertext reading system. User Models User Adapted Interact. 4(1), 1–19 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ardissono, L., Goy, A.: Tailoring the interaction with users in web stores. User Modelling User Adapted Interact. 10(4), 251–303 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Hohl, H., Bocker, H.D., Gunzenhauser, R.: HYPADAPTER: an adaptive hypertext system for exploratory learning and programming. User Modelling and User Adapted Interact. 6(2), 131–155 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kaplan, C., Fenwick, J., Chen, J.: Adaptive hypertext navigation based on user goals and context. User Modelling User Adapted Interact. 3(3), 193–220 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Oppermann, R., Specht, M.: A context sensitive nomadic information system as an exhibition guide. In: Proceedings of the Handheld and Ubiquitious Computing 2nd International Symposium (HUC 2000), pp. 127–142. Bristol, UK (2000)

  23. Tsang, E.: Foundations of Constraint Satisfaction. Academic Press, London (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Barták, R.: Constraint programming: in pursuit of the holy grail. In: Proceedings of the Week of Doctoral students (WDS99), Part IV, pp. 555–564. MatFyz Press, Prague (1999)

  25. Sabin, D., Freuder, E.: Configuration as composite constraint satisfaction. In: Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence and Manufacturing Research Planning Workshop, pp.153–161. Albuquerque, New Mexico (1996)

  26. Stefik, M.: (1981) Planning with constraints (MOLGEN: Part 1). Artif. Intell. 16(2), 111–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Sathi, A., Fox, M.S.: Constraint-directed negotiation of resource allocations. In: Gasser, L., Huhns, M. (eds.) Distributed Artificial Intelligence, vol. II, pp 163–194. Morgan Kaufmann, San Mateo (1989)

  28. Fox, M.: Constraint-Directed Search: A Case Study of Job-Shop Scheduling. Morgan Kaufmann, London (1987)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  29. Torrens, M., Faltings, B.: (1999) SmartClients: constraint satisfaction as a paradigm for scaleable intelligent information systems. In: Proceedings of the Workshop on Artificial Intelligence on Electronic Commerce. AAAI-99, Orlando, FL

  30. Dechter, R., Pearl, J.: Network based heuristics for constraint satisfaction problems. In: Search in Artificial Intelligence, pp. 370–425. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (1988)

  31. Kumar, V.: Algorithms for constraint satisfaction problems: a survey. AI Mag. 13(1), 3–44 (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Grzegorz, K., van Beek, P.: A theoretical evaluation of selected backtracking algorithms. Artif. Intell. 89, 365–387 (1997)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  33. Mackworth, A.K.: Consistency in networks of relations. Artif. Intell. 8, 99–118 (1977)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  34. Freuder, E.: A sufficient condition for backtrack-free search. Commun. ACM 29(1), 24–32 (1982)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  35. Bacchus, F., Run, P.: Dynamic variable ordering. CSPs. Principles and practice of constraint programming (CP-95). In: Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, vol. 976. pp. 258–275. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, (1995)

  36. Brohman, M.T., Watson, R.T., Piccoli, G., Parasuraman, A.: Data completeness: a key to effective net-based customer service systems. Commun. ACM 46(6), 47–51 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Bental, D.: Adapting web-based information to the needs of patients with cancer. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Hypertext and Adaptive Web-Based Systems, pp. 27–37. Trento, Italy, 2000

  38. Wilke, W., Bergmann, R.: Techniques and knowledge used for adaptation during case based problem solving. In: Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, vol. 1416. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (1998)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 1W5, Canada

    Syed Sibte Raza Abidi & Yan Zeng

  2. School of Computer Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800, Malaysia

    Yong Han Chong

Authors
  1. Syed Sibte Raza Abidi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yong Han Chong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yan Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Syed Sibte Raza Abidi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abidi, S.S.R., Chong, Y.H. & Zeng, Y. Generating customized yet factually consistent information: a constraint satisfaction approach. Int J Digit Libr 6, 247–259 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00799-006-0003-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00799-006-0003-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation