[Paper Review] Improving Tag-Clouds as Visual Information Retrieval Interfaces

Yusef Hassan‐Montero, Víctor Herrero-Solana|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jan 10, 2024

Image Retrieval and Classification TechniquesComputer Science18 references317 citations

TL;DR

The paper proposes a clustering-based approach to selecting and laying out tags in tag-clouds to improve visual browsing and reduce semantic density.

ABSTRACT

Tagging-based systems enable users to categorize web resources by means of tags (freely chosen keywords), in order to refinding these resources later. Tagging is implicitly also a social indexing process, since users share their tags and resources, constructing a social tag index, so-called folksonomy. At the same time of tagging-based system, has been popularised an interface model for visual information retrieval known as Tag-Cloud. In this model, the most frequently used tags are displayed in alphabetical order. This paper presents a novel approach to Tag-Cloud's tags selection, and proposes the use of clustering algorithms for visual layout, with the aim of improve browsing experience. The results suggest that presented approach reduces the semantic density of tag set, and improves the visual consistency of Tag-Cloud layout.

Motivation & Objective

• Motivate improved browsing in tagging-based systems by addressing limitations of traditional tag-cloud displays.
• Introduce a novel tag selection method that leverages clustering algorithms.
• Improve visual consistency and reduce semantic density in tag-cloud layouts.

Proposed method

• Apply clustering algorithms to group related tags for tag-cloud layout.
• Rearrange and select tags based on clustering to enhance visual coherence.
• Aim to reduce semantic density and improve navigability of the tag-cloud interface.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can clustering-based tag selection improve the visual layout and browsing experience of tag-clouds?
• RQ2 Does the clustering-based approach reduce semantic density while increasing visual consistency?
• RQ3 How does the proposed layout compare to traditional alphabetical-tag-cloud displays in terms of usability?

Key findings

• The proposed approach aims to reduce semantic density of the tag set.
• The approach aims to improve the visual consistency of the tag-cloud layout.