Machine learning based review on Development and Classification of Question-Answering Systems

Humans seek information continuously. In order to make information access easier, question answering (henceforth mentioned as QA) systems are developed with which user can interact in natural language and obtain relevant response. From using primitive methodologies to making the system intelligent and self-sufficient, many significant research advancements have been made in this domain since the 1960s. In this paper, we present a survey that aims to summarize the developmental trends in implementation of QA systems over the years. The paper mentions research classified under the identified important characteristics of any QA system. Consequently, an attempt is made to get a concise picture of the most current state of research in this domain. Following the review of this research, we have identified some areas having scope for future development like conversational QA systems, enhancing cognitive abilities of QA systems, etc.