Integrated Retrieval from Web of Documents and Data

The Semantic Web is evolving into a property-linked web of data, conceptually different from but contained in the Web of hyperlinked documents. Data Retrieval techniques are typically used to retrieve data from the Semantic Web while Information Retrieval techniques are used to retrieve documents from the Hypertext Web. We present a Unified Web model that integrates the two webs and formalizes connection between them. We then present an approach to retrieving documents and data that captures best of both the worlds. Specifically, it improves recall for legacy documents and provides keyword-based search capability for the Semantic Web. We specify the Hybrid Query Language that embodies this approach, and the prototype system SITAR that implements it. We conclude with areas of future work.