Implicit Collaborative Searching Based on Search History Database

摘要

A collaborative search system enables collaborative web searches by customer support agents or other user groups with common information needs. When a solution to a technical support problem is not found in the knowledgebase, customer support agents may conduct searches on the Internet to find a solution. A search history database is used to maintain a record of web searches conducted by customer support agents. Users may recommend web pages providing solutions to technical support problems. When a new search is conducted, it is compared to previous searches stored in the search history database and recommended web pages associated with similar queries representing the same or similar information need are output to the user. The collaborative search system enables customer support agents to more quickly find solutions to technical support problems and to recommend web pages providing solutions to those technical support problems to other persons in the technical support community.

主权项

1. A method implemented by an information retrieval system, said method comprising:
storing previous search queries performed by a group of users in a search history database; receiving resource identifiers from one or more users in the group, each resource identifier indicating a resource recommended by one of said users; associating each resource identifier with one or more previous search queries stored in the search history database; receiving a current search query from a first one of said users; comparing the current search query to the previous search queries stored in the search history database to identify one or more similar search queries; outputting to the first user resource identifiers associated with the similar search queries.