Findme-scholar: a contextual researcher recommender system for enhancing research collaboration using adaptive topic...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Bibliometrics
• Research Informatics

Background:

• Identifying research collaborators is challenging, especially in large, multidisciplinary settings.
• Traditional methods often rely on static profiles and existing networks, limiting discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce Findme-Scholar, a contextual researcher recommender system.
• To enhance research collaboration by modeling evolving topic interests.
• To provide context-aware recommendations beyond traditional approaches.

Main Methods:

• Developed an adaptive topic interest area modeling approach.
• Analyzed publication metadata and semantic content to capture evolving researcher interests.
• Implemented a contextual recommender system (Findme-Scholar).

Main Results:

• Successfully recommended researchers without prior co-authorship links.
• Demonstrated the ability to identify potential collaborators outside existing networks.
• Showcased effectiveness in capturing thematic and contextual similarities.

Conclusions:

• Findme-Scholar effectively models evolving research interests for improved collaboration.
• The system discovers relevant researchers beyond established co-authorship networks.
• Semantic and metadata analysis enables context-aware collaborator suggestions.