Visual Representation and Contextualization of Search Results - List and Matrix Browser

We present a new approach for the representation of search results in a graphical user interface that allows navigating and exploring these results. An interactive matrix display is used for showing the hyperlinks of a site search or other search queries in different hierarchical category systems. The results of a site search are not only shown as a list, but also classified in an ontology-based category system. So the user has the possibility to explore and navigate within the results of his query. The system offers a flexible way to refine the query by drilling down in the hierarchical structured categories. The user can explore the results in one category with the so called List Browser or in two categories at the same time with the so called Matrix Browser (Ziegler et al. 2002). A familiar and well known interactive tree widget is used for the presentation of the categories and located hyperlinks, so the handling of the system is very intuitive.