Research rapidity and efficiency improvement by analysis of research artifact similarity

• US 20060122965A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kolz, Daniel P., Dettinger, Richard D., Wenzel, Shannon E., Adams, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method, computer-readable medium and system for comparing query-related objects are provided. In one embodiment, a first plurality of query-related objects for a first user is compared to a second plurality of query-related objects for a second user to determine a degree of similarity between the first and second plurality of query-related objects. A notification of the degree of similarity is issued.

Claims

1. A method for comparing query-related objects, comprising:

receiving a first plurality of query-related objects for a first user;

receiving a second plurality of query-related objects for a second user,

wherein both the first and second plurality of query-related objects include objects of different object types;

comparing the first plurality of query-related objects of each type with the second plurality of query-related objects of the same object type to determine a degree of similarity between the first and second plurality of query-related objects of the same object type; and

issuing a notification of the degree of similarity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification of the degree of similarity is issued to at least one of the first user and the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of query-related objects include abstract queries resolved against a logical model abstractly describing physical data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification of the degree of similarity is issued if the degree of similarity is above a threshold for similarity.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a value for the typical degree of similarity of a plurality of query-related objects; and

using the value for the typical degree of similarity to set the threshold of similarity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each received query-related object is one of a query object, a result object, and an analysis object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a weight to the each received query-related object; and

using the weight assigned to the each received query-related object to adjust the degree of similarity between the first and second plurality of query-related objects.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of query-related objects which are typical of query-related objects found in a system; and

adjusting the degree of similarity downward because of a degree of similarity between the received plurality of query-related objects and the selected plurality of query-related objects typical of query-related objects found in the system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first plurality of query-related objects with the second plurality of query-related objects to determine the degree of similarity comprises:

comparing a component of each of the query-related objects in the first plurality of query-related objects with a component of each of the query-related objects in the second plurality of query-related objects to determine a degree of similarity of the components; and

using the degree of similarity of the components to determine the degree of similarity of the first and second plurality of query-related objects.

10. A method for comparing query-related information, comprising:

providing a data abstraction layer which defines one or more logical fields, wherein a definition for each logical field specifies (i) a name, and (ii) an access method that maps the logical field to data in an underlying data repository;

receiving from a first user a first abstract query composed from the one or more logical fields defined in the data abstraction layer;

receiving from a second user a second abstract query composed from the one or more logical fields defined in the data abstraction layer;

comparing the first abstract query and the second abstract query to determine a degree of similarity; and

issuing a notification of the degree of similarity.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

executing the first abstract query and receiving a first plurality of results;

executing the second abstract query and receiving a second plurality of results; and

adjusting the degree of similarity based on a determined degree of similarity between the first plurality of results and the second plurality of results.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

performing a first analysis on the first plurality of results;

performing a second analysis on the second plurality of results; and

adjusting the degree of similarity based on a determined degree of similarity between the first analysis and the second analysis.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification is issued to at least one of the first user and the second user.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

assigning a weight to a first logical field of the one or more logical fields defined in the data abstraction layer; and

adjusting the degree of similarity using the assigned weight based on an occurrence of the first logical field in the first abstract query and an occurrence of the first logical field in the second abstract query.

15. A method for comparing query-related objects, comprising:

receiving a plurality of query-related objects of two or more object types, each query-related object having a different owner;

sorting the plurality of query-related objects according to the two or more object types;

calculating a degree of similarity of the sorted query-related objects of each of the two or more object types;

determining if the calculated degree of similarity of the sorted query-related objects is above a threshold for similarity;

for those sorted query-related objects having the calculated degree of similarity above the threshold for similarity, selecting pairs of query-related objects with different owners having a predetermined degree of association;

grouping the selected pairs of query-related objects by the owners of the query-related objects; and

ranking the grouped pairs of query-related objects based upon the number of selected pairs of query-related objects within the group.

16. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a first plurality of query-related objects for a first user;

receiving a second plurality of query-related objects for a second user, wherein both the first and second plurality of query-related objects include objects of different object types;

comparing the first plurality of query-related objects of each type with the second plurality of query-related objects of the same object type to determine a degree of similarity between the first and second plurality of query-related objects of the same object type; and

issuing a notification of the degree of similarity.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the notification of the degree of similarity is issued to at least one of the first user and the second user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first and second plurality of query-related objects include abstract queries resolved against a logical model abstractly describing physical data.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the notification of the degree of similarity is issued if the degree of similarity is above a threshold for similarity.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a value for the typical degree of similarity of a plurality of query-related objects; and

using the value for the typical degree of similarity to set the threshold of similarity.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein each received query-related object is one of a query object, a result object, and an analysis object.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

assigning a weight to the each received query-related object; and

using the weight assigned to the each received query-related object to adjust the degree of similarity between the first and second plurality of query-related objects.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of query-related objects which are typical of query-related objects found in a system; and

adjusting the degree of similarity downward because of a degree of similarity between the received plurality of query-related objects and the selected plurality of query-related objects typical of query-related objects found in the system.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein comparing the first plurality of query-related objects with the second plurality of query-related objects to determine the degree of similarity comprises:

comparing a component of each of the query-related objects in the first plurality of query-related objects with a component of each of the query-related objects in the second plurality of query-related objects to determine a degree of similarity of the components; and

using the degree of similarity of the components to determine the degree of similarity of the first and second plurality of query-related objects.

25. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage media containing a program, the program when executed by the processor performing the steps comprising;

receiving a first plurality of query-related objects for a first user;

receiving a second plurality of query-related objects for a second user, wherein both the first and second plurality of query-related objects include objects of different object types;

comparing the first plurality of query-related objects of each type with the second plurality of query-related objects of the same object type to determine a degree of similarity between the first and second plurality of query-related objects of the same object type; and

issuing a notification of the degree of similarity.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the notification of the degree of similarity is issued to at least one of the first user and the second user.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the first and second plurality of query-related objects include abstract queries resolved against a logical model abstractly describing physical data.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the notification of the degree of similarity is issued if the degree of similarity is above a threshold for similarity.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

determining a value for the typical degree of similarity of a plurality of query-related objects; and

using the value for the typical degree of similarity to set the threshold of similarity.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein each received query-related object is one of a query object, a result object, and an analysis object.

31. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

assigning a weight to the each received query-related object; and

using the weight assigned to the each received query-related object to adjust the degree of similarity between the first and second plurality of query-related objects.

32. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of query-related objects which are typical of query-related objects found in a system; and

adjusting the degree of similarity downward because of a degree of similarity between the received plurality of query-related objects and the selected plurality of query-related objects typical of query-related objects found in the system.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein comparing the first plurality of query-related objects with the second plurality of query-related objects to determine the degree of similarity comprises:

comparing a component of each of the query-related objects in the first plurality of query-related objects with a component of each of the query-related objects in the second plurality of query-related objects to determine a degree of similarity of the components; and

using the degree of similarity of the components to determine the degree of similarity of the first and second plurality of query-related objects.