Reconciling faceted search and query languages for the Semantic Web
by S. Ferré; A. Hermann
International Journal of Metadata, Semantics and Ontologies (IJMSO), Vol. 7, No. 1, 2012

Abstract: Faceted search and querying are two well-known paradigms to search the Semantic Web. Querying languages, such as SPARQL, offer expressive means for searching RDF data sets, but they are difcult to use. Query assistants help users to write well-formed queries, but they do not prevent empty results. Faceted search supports exploratory search, i.e., guided navigation that returns rich feedbacks to users and prevents them to fall in deadends (empty results). However, faceted search systems do not offer the same expressiveness as query languages. We introduce Query-based Faceted Search (QFS), the combination of an expressive query language and faceted search, to reconcile the two paradigms. We formalise the navigation of faceted search as a navigation graph, where navigation places are queries and navigation links are query transformations. We prove that this navigation graph is safe (no dead-end) and complete (every query that is not a dead-end can be reached by navigation). In this paper, the LISQL query language generalises the existing semantic faceted search systems and covers most features of SPARQL. A prototype, Sewelis, has been implemented and a usability evaluation demonstrated that QFS retains the ease-of-use of faceted search and enables users to build complex queries with little training.

Online publication date: Wed, 31-Dec-2014

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Metadata, Semantics and Ontologies (IJMSO):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com