Modeling Terminologies for Reusability in Faceted Systems

Abstract

We integrate heterogeneous terminologies into our category-theoretic model of faceted browsing and show that existing terminologies and vocabularies can be reused as facets in a cohesive, interactive system. Commonly found in online search engines and digital libraries, faceted browsing systems depend upon one or more taxonomies which outline the structure and content of the facets available for user interaction. Controlled vocabularies or terminologies are often curated externally and are available as a reusable resource across systems. We demonstrated previously that category theory can abstractly model faceted browsing in a way that supports the development of interfaces capable of reusing and integrating multiple models of faceted browsing. We extend this model by illustrating that terminologies can be reused and integrated as facets across systems with examples from the biomedical domain. Furthermore, we extend our discussion by exploring the requirements and consequences of reusing existing terminologies and demonstrate how categorical operations can create reusable groupings of facets.

Keywords: Category Theory; Faceted Browsing; Information Reuse; Terminologies.

Fig. 1

Users can select from a variety of biomedical facets within i2b2, including those from existing and well-known terminologies; a subset of the ICD10 terminology as viewed through the i2b2 query tool is shown here.

Fig. 2

The structure of facet, focus, and taxonomy are easy to visualize due to their natural hierarchical relationships. Universes and queries are products utilizing this structure.

Fig. 3

We show a sample faceted taxonomy for medications. The objects of each Facet are pointers to a resource that has been classified as belonging to that particular facet type.

Fig. 4

A resource table and a medications table using example data from Figure 3 shows the role that primary and foreign keys play in modeling faceted browsing.

Fig. 5

A web interface could merge multiple instances together into a master taxonomy.

Fig. 6

A web interface containing multiple instances of a terminology in discrete components assists interaction.

Fig. 7

The i2b2 query tool uses drag-and-drop interaction to construct patient queries.

Fig. 8

A meta-facet can assist in merging facets together by providing a common anchor point.

Fig. 9

Faceted views can provide convenient, derived facets for interactivity.

Fig. 10

DELVE contains visualizations controlled by facets as well as visualizations that contain facets.

Fig. 11

A DELVE search for fibromyalgia publications focusing on analgesics

Fig. 12

A DELVE search for fibromyalgia publications focusing on depression