Spatialization of Web Sites Using a Weighted Frequency Model of Navigation Data

A common problem in the spatialization of information systems is the determination of geometry; i.e., dimensionality and metric. Such geometry is either chosen a priori or is inferred a posteriori from secondary data. Recent work emphasizes the use of geometric information latent in a system’s navigational record. Resolving this information from its noisy background, however, requires an unambiguous criterion of selection. In this paper we use a previously published, statistical method for resolving a Web-based information system’s geometry from navigational data. However, because of the method’s (theoretical) sensitivity to data selection, a weighted frequency correction based on empirical probability distributions is applied. The effect of this correction on the Web-space geometry is investigated. Results indicate that the inferred geometry is robust; i.e., it does not significantly change under this probabilistic correction.