STEREOTYPES IN INFORMATION FILTERING SYSTEMS

A stereotype represents a collection of attributes common to a cross-s ection of people. The use of stereotypes is efficient in information s ystems that need to model their users in order to improve the interact ion between users and the system. Expert systems and various tutors ha ve used stereotypes as a helpful means of modeling users. Stereotypes enable systems to make plausible inferences about users on the basis o f their stereotypic association. This paper discusses the use of stere otypes as a means of improving the effectiveness of information filter ing systems that are based on user profiles. We describe various appro aches of using stereotypes in existing systems, and propose a unique w ay of using stereotypes in a new model for information filtering. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.