Traditional Search Methods
Keyword-Based Search:
- Relies on matching user queries with text in web documents.
- The limitations of this is that it struggles with understanding context, synonyms, and non-textual data.
Boolean Search:
- Uses operators like AND, OR, NOT to refine searches.
- The limitations of this is that it requires precise query formulation and doesn't handle natural language well.
Semantic Search Methods
Ontology-Based Search: Utilizes ontologies to understand relationships between concepts.
ExampleSearching for "heart attack" also returns results for "myocardial infarction" due to their semantic equivalence.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): Analyzes user queries to understand intent and context.
ExampleInterprets "best Italian restaurants near me" by identifying the type of cuisine and location context.
Linked Data and RDF: Uses RDF triples to connect related data across the web.
ExampleA search for "Barack Obama" retrieves information from multiple sources linked by RDF.