Enabling a Personal View of the Deep Web Jeffrey P. Bigham Anna C. Cavender, Ryan S. Kaminsky, Craig M. Prince, and Tyler S. Robison University of Washington Computer Science and Engineering Transcendence

What is the Deep Web? The deep web Built from underlying databases Accessible by querying web forms 400-550x larger than surface web 1 The surface web Accessible by following links Indexed by traditional search engines [1] Bergman, M. K. The deep web: Surfacing hidden value, 2001. Introduction

The deep web

Built from underlying databases

Accessible by querying web forms

400-550x larger than surface web 1

The surface web

Accessible by following links

Indexed by traditional search engines

Deep Web Resources Introduction

Deep Web Resources Introduction

Problems Web interfaces are inflexible Your query might not be supported Many searches are often required Multiple queries, multiple tabs/windows Aggregate queries are difficult Data is technically available but hard to access Introduction

Web interfaces are inflexible

Your query might not be supported

Many searches are often required

Multiple queries, multiple tabs/windows

Aggregate queries are difficult

Data is technically available but hard to access

Outline Introduction Transcending Craigslist Related Work 3 Steps of Transcendence Additional Examples User Evaluation

Introduction

Transcending Craigslist

Related Work

3 Steps of Transcendence

Additional Examples

User Evaluation

Scenario Jane is a new student at UW Looking for an apartment on Craigslist Aware of two neighborhoods in Seattle “ University District” and “University Village” Looking for the cheapest apartment near UW Transcending Craigslist

Jane is a new student at UW

Looking for an apartment on Craigslist

Aware of two neighborhoods in Seattle

“ University District” and “University Village”

Looking for the cheapest apartment near UW

Generalize a Form Field

Add a Value

Add a Value

Add Another Value

Automatically Generate More Values

Results only for “University Village”

Fields Automatically Chosen

Extract for All Inputs

Review Extractions in Place

Extractions Sorted by Price

Transcending Craigslist Provided personal view of Craigslist Multiple queries/results in single window Cheapest neighborhood not originally entered Required only a little more than a single search

Provided personal view of Craigslist

Multiple queries/results in single window

Cheapest neighborhood not originally entered

Required only a little more than a single search

Outline Introduction Transcending Craigslist Related Work 3 Steps of Transcendence Additional Examples User Evaluation

Introduction

Transcending Craigslist

Related Work

3 Steps of Transcendence

Additional Examples

User Evaluation

Crawling the Deep Web Crawling the Deep Web 1. Find interesting web forms 2. Find appropriate values to provide Determine schema and appropriate queries 1 Find keywords likely to elicit interesting results 2 Don’t involve users [1] Madhavan et al. “Structured data meets the web: A few observations.” 2006. [2] Ntoulas et al. “ Downloading textual hidden web content through keyword queries.” 2005. Related Work

Crawling the Deep Web

1. Find interesting web forms

2. Find appropriate values to provide

Determine schema and appropriate queries 1

Find keywords likely to elicit interesting results 2

Don’t involve users

User Interfaces for the Web Collect, Manage and Use Web Information Sifter 1 Augment sorting/filtering Clip, Connect, Clone 2 Manipulate web forms Clone to specify multiple values CREO 3 Web macros that generalize using Open Mind Repository Related Work [1] Huynh et al . “Enabling web browsers to augment web sites’ filtering and sorting functionalities.” UIST 2006. [2] Fujima et al. “Clip, connect, clone: combining application elements to build custom interfaces for information access.” UIST 2004. [3] Faaborg et al. “A goal-oriented web browser.” CHI 2006.

Collect, Manage and Use Web Information

Sifter 1

Augment sorting/filtering

Clip, Connect, Clone 2

Manipulate web forms

Clone to specify multiple values

CREO 3

Web macros that generalize using Open Mind Repository

Outline Introduction Transcending Craigslist Related Work 3 Steps of Transcendence Additional Examples User Evaluation

Introduction

Transcending Craigslist

Related Work

3 Steps of Transcendence

Additional Examples

User Evaluation

1. Generalize Form Choose input fields to generalize Enter multiple values for those fields Either enter manually, or Use subset of values in selection/radio/checkbox Optionally add more values automatically Prior Input of Other Users Unsupervised Information Extraction 3 Steps of Transcendence 1 2 3

Choose input fields to generalize

Enter multiple values for those fields

Either enter manually, or

Use subset of values in selection/radio/checkbox

Optionally add more values automatically

Prior Input of Other Users

Unsupervised Information Extraction

Input : phrases Output : (similar) phrases Google Sets 1 Up to 10 inputs, returns 15 or 50 results Based on contextual similarity (probably) KnowItAll List Extractor 2 Finds inputs in lists in unstructured web text Extracts other items in the lists Proceeds in iterations to potentially find many more 1-a) Finding Values with UIE [1] http://labs.google.com/sets/ [2] Etzioni et al . “Methods for domain-independent information extraction from the web: an experimental comparison.” 2008 3 Steps of Transcendence 1 2 3

Input : phrases Output : (similar) phrases

Google Sets 1

Up to 10 inputs, returns 15 or 50 results

Based on contextual similarity (probably)

KnowItAll List Extractor 2

Finds inputs in lists in unstructured web text

Extracts other items in the lists

Proceeds in iterations to potentially find many more

2. Choose Fields & Extract Submit form with single combination of values Result fields identified automatically 1 Identified by XPATH Pre-processing adds structure Users optionally edit fields Begin extraction process Multi-threaded extraction 3 Steps of Transcendence [1] Huynh et al . “Enabling web browsers to augment web sites’ filtering and sorting functionalities.” UIST 2006. 1 2 3

Submit form with single combination of values

Result fields identified automatically 1

Identified by XPATH

Pre-processing adds structure

Users optionally edit fields

Begin extraction process

Multi-threaded extraction

3. Visualize Data In place on the web page Sort and select results within the web page External Visualizers Histogram , Google Map , line graphs , scatter plot , and table of values 3 Steps of Transcendence 1 2 3

In place on the web page

Sort and select results within the web page

External Visualizers

Histogram , Google Map , line graphs ,

scatter plot , and table of values

Outline Introduction Transcending Craigstlist Related Work 3 Steps of Transcendence Additional Examples User Evaluation

Introduction

Transcending Craigstlist

Related Work

3 Steps of Transcendence

Additional Examples

User Evaluation

Examples: IMDB 1 Rating Dist. Additional Examples [1] http://www.imdb.com Entered: “ Scent of a Woman,” “Rocky,” “Star Wars,” and “The Matrix” Generate > 7000 more titles

Examples: IMDB 1 Rating Dist. Additional Examples [1] http://www.imdb.com

Examples: Directory Diving Supplied 3 surnames: “ Allen,” “Smith,” and “Johnson” Generated 10,063 more names A few hours later… 51,233 unique names and emails Also address information, position Additional Examples

Supplied 3 surnames:

“ Allen,” “Smith,” and “Johnson”

Generated 10,063 more names

A few hours later…

51,233 unique names and emails

Also address information, position

Outline Introduction Transcending Craigsist Related Work 3 Steps of Transcendence Additional Examples User Evaluation

Introduction

Transcending Craigsist

Related Work

3 Steps of Transcendence

Additional Examples

User Evaluation

User Evaluation 9 Potential Users Evaluated Transcendence 5 programmers, 4 non-programmers 3 Tasks Search for a flight Multiple destinations, departure and return dates Map REI Stores in the U.S. Search Craigslist for an apartment User Evaluation

9 Potential Users Evaluated Transcendence

5 programmers, 4 non-programmers

3 Tasks

Search for a flight

Multiple destinations, departure and return dates

Map REI Stores in the U.S.

Search Craigslist for an apartment

User Reaction & Comments Agreed that Transcendence: “ could be used to find useful information” “ is powerful (would allow me to easily accomplish difficult tasks).” Most compelling task varied by user Craigslist suggested by preliminary user Many related to flight task Questioned value of incomplete database reconstructions Pleasantly surprised by values automatically supplied Wanted to use Transcendence in the future User Evaluation

Agreed that Transcendence:

“ could be used to find useful information”

“ is powerful (would allow me to easily accomplish difficult tasks).”

Most compelling task varied by user

Craigslist suggested by preliminary user

Many related to flight task

Questioned value of incomplete database reconstructions

Pleasantly surprised by values automatically supplied

Wanted to use Transcendence in the future

Future Work Implicit Resource Descriptions Eliminate Need to Choose Result Fields Share result schemas between users Eliminate Step 2 Custom vertical search engines User-created Kayaks, Metacrawlers, and Froogles Improved Deep Web Crawling Use UIE to find appropriate values for forms Future Work

Implicit Resource Descriptions

Eliminate Need to Choose Result Fields

Share result schemas between users

Eliminate Step 2

Custom vertical search engines

User-created Kayaks, Metacrawlers, and Froogles

Improved Deep Web Crawling

Use UIE to find appropriate values for forms

Conclusion Transcendence makes forms more flexible Transcendence automatically finds input values Unsupervised information extraction useful for crawling Transcendence enables new queries not possible before Participants wanted to use Transcendence Conclusion

Transcendence makes forms more flexible

Transcendence automatically finds input values

Unsupervised information extraction useful for crawling

Transcendence enables new queries not possible before

Participants wanted to use Transcendence

Transcendence Jeffrey P. Bigham [email_address] www.cs.washington.edu/homes/jbigham/ Thanks to: Mira Dontcheva, UW Turing Center, anonymous reviewers, and our study participants . The End

Some Extra Slides

Show Those Resulting from Specific Inputs

Show Those Resulting from Specific Inputs

Show Wedgewood Results

System Description

3 Steps of Transcendence Generalize Choose Fields & Extract Visualize

Examples: Mapping Stores Additional Examples

Examples: Kayak Flights Additional Examples

User Evaluation

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Deep Web Resources Introduction