Automatic semantic annotation using unsupervised information extraction and integration

Abstract

In this paper we propose a methodology to learn to automatically annotate domain-specific information from large repositories (e.g. Web sites) with minimum user intervention. The methodology is based on a combination of information extraction, information integration and machine learning techniques. Learning is seeded by extracting information from structured sources (e.g. databases and digital libraries). Retrieved information is then used to partially annotate documents. These annotated documents are used to bootstrap learning for simple Information Extraction (IE) methodologies, which in turn will produce more annotations used to annotate more documents. It will be used to train more complex IE engines and the cycle will keep on repeating itself until the required information is obtained. The user intervention is limited to providing an initial URL and to correct information if it is the case when the computation is finished. The revised annotation can then be reused to provide further training and therefore getting more information and/or more precision.