Updating user profile using ontology-based semantic similarity

The endless amount of information on the web, known as ldquolost-in-hyper-space syndromerdquo, easily overwhelms users. User profiles are used as a means to support extracting relevant information by indicating user interests. In this paper, we propose a new method to develop and maintain a user profile by analyzing user´s web access behavior. We propose an ontology-based semantic similarity measure and combine it with an importance measure to identify items that are of highest relevance to user interests. The proposed approach is used in a system for updating a user profile in music domain.