Investigation On How The Use Of Intelligent Agent Technology Can Improve The Digital Library

Introduction

Agent technology, a sub field of artificial intelligence, it isn’t a new concept. The idea of intelligent agent was first introduced by John McCarthy in the 1950s, at MIT. Norman (1997) advances that software agents were first used for factory control devices, and automatons (mechanical devices made to imitate a human) that controlled piloting of airplanes. The popularity of agent technology has increased, over the past decades (as literature published during the 1980s and 1990s indicates), and a number of researchers announced the future belonged to agents, Agents will be the most imperative computing ideal in the next coming years.

Today’s agents are extraordinarily flexible software segments, utilized in complex frameworks such as traffic administration and route guidances. Defining intelligent agentsThe term “agent” most frequently refers to a software program that gathers information or performs services without the user's presence. Shoham (1997) is accurate: A software entity that functions continuously and autonomously in a specific domain, often a part of other software and processes. Bradshaw (1997) states that agents can do exercises without consistent human mediation, Jafari (2002) sees agents as “a set of independent software tools connected with different applications and databases running within one or multiple computer environments. The essential function of intelligent agent is to help user's better use, manage and interact with a software application”. Wooldridge (1997) portrays an intelligent agent as an embodied PC framework, situated in a specific environment, that is equipped for adaptable, self-sufficient activity in that condition in order to meet its goals. Researchers have tried to specify the work done by agents. Miller’s model describes an agent technology architecture which encompass the four functions of observation, recognition, planning and or inference, and action or execution (1997), while Maes (1997) states that agentscan help users in different ways:

• They hide the complexity of various tasks
• They perform operations on the user’s behalf
• They can train or teach each other
• They help multiple users participate
• They monitor events and procedures.

Wooldridge and Jennings (1998) address the utility of agents, and state that there are 2 conditions that build new technology useful: the flexibility to resolve issues that are unsolvable with antecedently existing technology, and therefore the ability to resolve current issues a lot of efficiently. It's obvious that there are many ways in which to explain agents, from the sensible to the fantastic; the challenge for those in libraries and different info service areas is to separate truth from fiction, and utilize agent technology for support and problem-solving in a most useful way to user.

Research problem

The problem is the current digital library uses non-intelligence systems which makes the system's everyday tasks more tedious because of the system’s inability to perform autonomous operations.

Background to research problem

Digital library technology at Vut is relatively new, and the development growth is steady, technology keeps advancing and it very important to invest in research and development and innovation to achieve better results. About non-intelligence systemsNon-Intelligence systems are still used today, they can do basic task or what they were programmed to do but they can't go beyond that, most tasks are manual, they lack quite a lot of functions such as advanced data analyzing, automatic monitoring, or performing complex tasks for the user without the user's presence. Even though the current digital library technology offers a wide range of features, there's always been a gab when it comes to the issue of automation. There has been quite a lot of researches about this issue and researchers have always wondered about new innovative ways to solve this issue and create more effective digital libraries. This makes agent technology more suitable for the development of future digital libraries. Technologies that have autonomous capabilities.

Wellman (1999), envious future digital libraries that perform autonomous monitoring, management, and allocation of services and resources. Agents can negotiate and manage the transfer of data, and this ability makes them useful for certain computer based, library related functions and tasks, as well as end user support. The National Library of Medicines uses agent technology to provide automated answers to users’ queries. Librarians can continually review question and answer logs, and provide new scripts. The agents allow users to obtain more distinct answers to queries.

Methodology

This research can use qualitative research approach. The purpose of qualitative research is basically to understand people experiences on a particular issue or case, it is more about exploration, a qualitative research essentially seeks to explain ‘what’ or ‘how’.

The research will be done through the use of conducting interviews and the use of questionnaire. Interview questions will be used to investigate the students views or opinions on digital library technology, for software development organisations, questions will be about agent technology. Surveys will be conducted based on digital library technology. Interviews will consist of closed-ended questionnaires. Interviews will be conducted at desired locations such as Vut campus, Residence.

Each Interview will last approximately 15 mins. Interviews will be conducted over a period of 3 to 4 weeks. Participants involved in this study will include senior students both male and female, organisations (small to medium-sized) involved in digital library technology development. All the the research questions and findings will be analysed and discussed at the completion of the research.

Significance of the research

The findings of this study will pose a great opportunity for the future of Vut library. Advancements in agent technology have led to a greater success in many fields by making processes faster, making tasks more easy and less stressful and improving the user experience, this technology has a greater potential and it will have a positive impact on Vut's digital library.

Literature review

Perez (2002) discusses intelligent desktop and Web-hosted search agents, both designed to help users in searching the Web. Desktop agent software and Web-based search agents use agent technology for categorizing, sorting, filtering and reporting search results on behalf of the user. Perez (2002) notes a few differences between the results retrieved using normal search engines versus a search using intelligent agent software. Agent search results are sorted and presented in ways that add value to the information, rather than just lists of hyperlinks and other Web sites.

Agents technology research in online shopping market. In the study on the impact of Internet agents on the online shopper, Hostler, Yoon, and Guimaraes (2005) propose four different hypotheses. They assert that the use of an Internet agent will:

• Lessen the time users spend searching or selecting a product to buy online
• Improve the decision quality of online shoppers’ purchasing decisions
• Increase the user’s confidence in their purchase decisions for online purchases
• Decrease the amount of cognitive effort required during product search and selection in online shopping environments.

The researchers concluded that agents can be friendly for users by minimising the time they spend for product searching and selecting, and improving decision quality. Agent technology in teaching support and learning. Jafari (2002) presents a model for using agents within the learning environment, in the form of a digital teaching assistant. Such an assistant might interact with the user via their computer, or mobile phone, in conjunction with course management software such as Blackboard and WebCT. In the online environment, instructors must always monitor their class sites to measure student participation, retrieve assignments and homework from their dropbox, send and receive course related emails. These tasks are time consuming, and using intelligent agents for some of these tasks would reduce the workload of the instructor.

Baylor (1999) propose that agents can be used as an instructing tools in three ways: managing information overload, serving as a pedagogical expert, and creating programming environments for learners. The author suggests that the goal is to make online course environments “smart”, thus more attracting and stimulating for users, and gives the example of Writing Partner, a pedagogical application of agent software created by G. Salomon in the early 1990s. The software engaged students during the writing process by asking them a series of questions as they wrote their essays, each question geared towards helping the student improve their skills. Baylor (1999) also discusses the educational value of having students learn by actually building their own agents.

Summary

Agent technology is very broad, the literature review outlined some of the technologies that researchers have studied throughout the years, they present various subjects and trains that can make it easy for access, storage, searching, monitoring, decision-making, retrieval and streaming digital library content in various fields using agent technology.