IAs, Language and Lego™ – an Introduction to Semantic Analysis Matthew Hodgson Regional-lead, Web and Information Management, Canberra Australia 12 April 2008

IA Tools for understanding content

Content analysis…

We all: Think about information in different ways Write about information in different ways Information: we all think differently …

We all:

Think about information in different ways

Write about information in different ways

… we all even write differently …

Jeffrey Veen on analysing content “ a mind-numbingly detailed odyssey through your web site... … this process…is a relatively straightforward process of clicking through your web site and recording what you find.” Source: http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/essays/archives/000040.php

“ a mind-numbingly detailed odyssey through your web site...

… this process…is a relatively straightforward process of clicking through your web site and recording what you find.”

When analysing content …

An extract of medical restrictions text

What is this content?! Medical restrictions text Free-text built in Word and hand-crafted (*grrr*) Unclassified Varied consistency within and between texts Highly complex sentence structures in pseudo-legalese Style reflects the author rather than the meaning in the communication Content needed for re-use Content output was needed for reuse by others Multiple audiences Multiple purposes for re-use Codification Codification by 3 rd parties (after authoring) takes too long Need to reduce timeframes!

Medical restrictions text

Free-text built in Word and hand-crafted (*grrr*)

Unclassified

Varied consistency within and between texts

Highly complex sentence structures in pseudo-legalese

Style reflects the author rather than the meaning in the communication

Content needed for re-use

Content output was needed for reuse by others

Multiple audiences

Multiple purposes for re-use

Codification

Codification by 3 rd parties (after authoring) takes too long

Need to reduce timeframes!

The task . . .analyse and codify

What tools would be appropriate? ?

?

Linguistics … a whole discipline devoted to the study of language… preposition verb adjective noun determiner subject object conjunction semantics sentence structure all language has structure

Linguistics

… a whole discipline devoted to the

study of language…

Language is like Lego™ Building blocks Subject (S) Verb (V) Object (O) Order of blocks Differs depending on the language

Building blocks

Subject (S)

Verb (V)

Object (O)

Order of blocks

Differs depending on the language

Language is like Lego™ SVO languages English, French, Chinese, Bulgarian, Swahili SOV Japanese, Turkish, Korean VSO Classical Arabic, Celtic and Hawaiian VOS Fijian, Yoda’s amusing phrases

SVO languages

English, French, Chinese, Bulgarian, Swahili

SOV

Japanese, Turkish, Korean

VSO

Classical Arabic, Celtic and Hawaiian

VOS

Fijian, Yoda’s amusing phrases

Lego bricks: subjects, verbs and objects Sometimes, though, the SVO structure is hidden: “ The Lego is red” or “ Those Lego bricks are [some] red Lego bricks” ? Uncovering the hidden structure helps to differentiate between the subject and the object and identify the who and what

Sometimes, though, the SVO structure is hidden:

“ The Lego is red” or

“ Those Lego bricks are [some] red Lego bricks” ?

Uncovering the hidden structure helps to differentiate between the subject and the object and identify the who and what

Uncovering hidden meaning If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective , not as a noun . For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs". Source: http://everything2.com/title/legOS

If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective , not as a noun .

For example, say

"MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS".

Never say

"MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs".

Source: http://everything2.com/title/legOS

Lego trees…

Semantic analysis Medical restrictions wording: Restricted benefit Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; Scleroderma oesophagus; Authority required Peptic ulcer

Medical restrictions wording:

Restricted benefit Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; Scleroderma oesophagus;

Authority required Peptic ulcer

Semantic analysis (cont.) Actual sentence Peptic ulcer Implied sentence The prescription of medicine is restricted to the initial treatment of patients with peptic ulcer

Actual sentence

Peptic ulcer

Implied sentence

The prescription of medicine is restricted to the initial treatment of patients with peptic ulcer

Semantic structure of ‘peptic ulcer’

Semantic model for restrictions text

Semantics describing “Who Treated”

Semantics describing “Authority Action”

High-level semantic overview

Yes, it can be codified! Medical restrictions: Did have structure Did have underlying logic Were based on repeatable business processes Could be codified Could we make a ‘system’ to reinforce the structure at the point of authoring?

Medical restrictions:

Did have structure

Did have underlying logic

Were based on repeatable business processes

Could be codified

Could we make a ‘system’ to reinforce the structure at the point of authoring?

Demo Putting it together in a system: Supporting building of content restrictions in a codified way Protyotyping with Axure

Putting it together in a system:

Supporting building of content restrictions in a codified way

Protyotyping with Axure

The semantic analysis advantage vs Identifies: Themes in content Identifies: Themes in content Work processes Folk taxonomies used ‘ Things’ written about

Identifies:

Themes in content

Identifies:

Themes in content

Work processes

Folk taxonomies used

‘ Things’ written about

What else could you use it for? When you need to understand: Business processes that create content When you want to disassemble content for: FAQs A-Z indexes Help files

When you need to understand:

Business processes that create content

When you want to disassemble content for:

FAQs

A-Z indexes

Help files

How can I add this to my toolbox??! Theory is important An understanding of semantics - sentence trees and grammar Text books by authors like Fromkin and Rodman can help through the tricky bits Need good tools Connexor : http://www.connexor.eu/technology/machinese/demo/ Big sheets of paper (and an electronic whiteboard) Visio (not PowerPoint!)

Theory is important

An understanding of semantics - sentence trees and grammar

Text books by authors like Fromkin and Rodman can help through the tricky bits

Need good tools

Connexor : http://www.connexor.eu/technology/machinese/demo/

Big sheets of paper (and an electronic whiteboard)

Visio (not PowerPoint!)

Demo Connexor: http://www.connexor.eu/technology/machinese/demo/

Connexor:

http://www.connexor.eu/technology/machinese/demo/

Connexor

Connexor – machine tagger

Connexor – machine syntax

Why should I care about this? Google uses semantic analysis to index content Translation software uses semantic analysis to identify ‘components’ for translation Good sentence structure equals: Accurate indexing Higher rank relevance of content Happy people (they find what they’re looking for)

Google uses semantic analysis to index content

Translation software uses semantic analysis to identify ‘components’ for translation

Good sentence structure equals:

Accurate indexing

Higher rank relevance of content

Happy people (they find what they’re looking for)

Why should I care about this?

‘ Calais’ by Reuters

Summing up Content is still king! But how can you tell if your content: Is of good quality? Matches your website’s categories? Accurately reflects your metadata? Can be found by people? Semantic analysis can: Make your content audits more objective Inform processes to improve the quality of the content Inform processes to improve search engine indexing Inform metadata creation Inform choice of taxonomy

Content is still king!

But how can you tell if your content:

Is of good quality?

Matches your website’s categories?

Accurately reflects your metadata?

Can be found by people?

Semantic analysis can:

Make your content audits more objective

Inform processes to improve the quality of the content

Inform processes to improve search engine indexing

Inform metadata creation

Inform choice of taxonomy

Take-home message Semantic analysis can help IAs: Infer How people think about, and structure, their information Describe Business processes that produce content Identify Where content quality is poor so it can be improved Critical components of the sentence for codification Design Taxonomies and describe folk taxonomies Build Systems to help bring some structure to content authoring

Semantic analysis can help IAs:

Infer

How people think about, and structure, their information

Describe

Business processes that produce content

Identify

Where content quality is poor so it can be improved

Critical components of the sentence for codification

Design

Taxonomies and describe folk taxonomies

Build

Systems to help bring some structure to content authoring

Fin

Fin

IAs, Language and Lego™ an Introduction to Semantic Analysis

by Matthew Hodgson Regional-lead, Web and Information Management SMS Management & Technology Canberra Australia

by Matthew Hodgson Email [email_address] Blog magia3e.wordpress.com Slideshare www.slideshare.net/magia3e Twitter magia3e