Effectiveness of Recommender Systems in Knowledge Discovery

Abstract

Purpose: The general purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of recommender systems in knowledge discovery.

Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.

Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to recommender systems in knowledge discovery. The study on the effectiveness of recommender systems in knowledge discovery found that such systems played a pivotal role in facilitating users' exploration of vast information repositories, enabling them to uncover relevant resources and expand their knowledge. It found that recommender systems employing advanced algorithms and personalized techniques demonstrated higher effectiveness in generating relevant recommendations tailored to users' preferences and needs. Additionally, the study highlighted the positive correlation between user engagement metrics and knowledge discovery outcomes, emphasizing the importance of fostering active user participation in the recommendation process. Contextual information was also identified as a crucial factor influencing recommendation effectiveness. Overall, the study underscored the significance of continuous refinement and optimization of recommender system algorithms to enhance knowledge discovery outcomes for users.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Social Learning theory, Information Foraging theory and Cognitive Load theory may be used to anchor future studies on recommender systems in knowledge discovery. The study provided recommendations to enhance the efficacy of such systems. It suggested adopting hybrid recommender systems that combine collaborative and content-based filtering techniques to offer more accurate and diverse recommendations. Additionally, the study emphasized the importance of integrating contextual information into recommendation algorithms to dynamically adjust recommendations based on situational context. Furthermore, it recommended the use of explainable AI techniques to improve transparency and user understanding of recommendation processes. Maximizing user engagement through active participation and feedback was also highlighted as crucial, along with prioritizing recommendation diversity to foster exploration and serendipitous discovery of new knowledge resources.