Information and Recommender Systems

Introduction

The development of Web and communications technologies since the early 1990s has facilitated the generation of initiatives aiming to create opportunities for communication and information sharing. Information and data are increasingly present in our daily lives. This constant flux is often the result of developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)¹. Moreover, the possibilities offered by ICT, which have increased almost exponentially, have given rise to a massive volume of data requiring processing [BAT 13]. The world is increasingly “digital” and individuals are increasingly affected by these changes. The digital infrastructure has resulted in the creation of an information environment that is “as imperceptible to us as water is to a fish” [MCL 11]. A type of parallel exists between humans and technology: on the one hand, individuals are making increasing use of technology and becoming “hyper-connected”, on the other hand, digital systems are becoming increasingly user-centered [VII 14].

Systems therefore need to allow users to synthesize information and to explore data. Data exploration is a process focused on the search for relevant information within a set of data, intended to detect hidden correlations or new information. In the current context of “information overload”, and with the increase in calculation and storage capacity, it is difficult to know exactly what information to look for and where to look for it. There is therefore a need ...