Conceptual Analysis of Hypertext

TL;DR

This paper applies formal concept analysis to hypertext systems, introducing new formats and techniques for structuring, linking, and browsing hypertext content, especially on the Web.

Contribution

It introduces new interchange formats, conceptual linkage, and conceptual browsing techniques for hypertext, enhancing the structuring and navigation of hypertext systems.

Findings

Proposes new interchange formats for hypertext meta-information.

Introduces the concept of conceptual linkage as a generalization of hyperlinks.

Develops the technique of conceptual browsing for improved Web navigation.

Abstract

In this chapter tools and techniques from the mathematical theory of formal concept analysis are applied to hypertext systems in general, and the World Wide Web in particular. Various processes for the conceptual structuring of hypertext are discussed: summarization, conceptual scaling, and the creation of conceptual links. Well-known interchange formats for summarizing networked information resources as resource meta-information are reviewed, and two new interchange formats originating from formal concept analysis are advocated. Also reviewed is conceptual scaling, which provides a principled approach to the faceted analysis techniques in library science classification. The important notion of conceptual linkage is introduced as a generalization of a hyperlink. The automatic hyperization of the content of legacy data is described, and the composite conceptual structuring with hypertext linkage is defined. For the conceptual empowerment of the Web user, a new technique called conceptual browsing is advocated. Conceptual browsing, which browses over conceptual links, is dual mode (extensional versus intensional) and dual scope (global versus local).