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HCSNet Priority Area Workshop on Next-Generation Search TechnologyCALL FOR ABSTRACTSExisting information retrieval systems effectively treat documents as unstructured bags of words. As Google and its competitors demonstrate, this approach works surprisingly well. At the same time, it is clear that human processors of information make use of a much deeper understanding of text than these systems exhibit. Humans cannot compete with machines in terms of quantity, but their abilities far exceed those of machines when it comes to quality. This priority research area focuses on how we can improve search engine technology by integrating more knowledge about the processing and understanding of language. This knowledge comes from a range of disciplines represented within HCSNet. Linguistics treats texts as richly structured objects that obey complex and interacting rules about language use, and natural language processing attempts to implement computational models that embody these ideas: how do we add this sophistication to information retrieval in a way that delivers better results? Are there insights from the cognitive sciences that can tell us how to build better tools for finding information? How do we extend these technologies when the data we are concerned with includes audio and video as well as text? AUDIENCEThe goal of the workshop is to gather people from all areas of research, development and industry. We welcome people from Academia, Industry or Research with interest in any of the following areas or any other area related to innovative methods for search:
WORKSHOP FORMATOur aim at this initial meeting of the Priority Area is to provide a low-barrier-to-entry forum for researchers to share knowledge and discuss possible interactions. The workshop will focus on 10-15 minute presentations by all participants, and both group and plenary discussion sessions. The purpose of the discussion sessions is to identify common areas of interest and to draw a roadmap of goals and activities of the Priority Area. There will be special emphasis on multidisciplinary activities that could form seeds of future research projects. SUBMISSIONSWe want to involve as many as possible in discussion, so the effort required for attendance is deliberately small: interested parties are asked to submit a short abstract of two paragraphs of 100-150 words each, describing:
FUNDINGHCSNet will fund travel and accommodation for a number of participants from outside the Melbourne area. The provision of the abstract described above, summarising your research interests is a prerequisite for funding. If not all participants can be covered, funding grants may be allocated based on the relevance of your abstract to the workshop theme; also, early career researchers (in HCSNet terms, those who have received their PhDs in the last ten years) will have priority. In addition, 10 student travel awards of $500 each will be available for postgraduate students outside the Melbourne area. To apply, send a short CV in plain text to the email addresses below by 31st August 2006. IMPORTANT DATES
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