Waypoint: An Integrated Search and Retrieval System for Engineering Documents

Abstract

This paper describes the architecture and technical capabilities of an integrated engineering information search and retrieval system. The system is designed with a flexible architecture that allows it to be incorporated in other software systems and also to itself incorporate a variety of different software components. It provides uniform access to multiple heterogeneous information collections and an integrated access mechanism allowing both keyword searching and browsing of classification schemes interchangeably in a single information access session. Browsing using the system is based on a faceted classification approach in which continual feedback is given to the user on how the results of a search task may be refined, by updating browsable classifications to reflect previous user selections. The classification scheme is populated using an automatic constraint-based classifier. The article describes the rationale behind the choice of the system architecture and the incorporated technologies, and also describes three examples developed using the system.