Adding structure to web search with itrails [position paper]

We would like to discuss with workshop participants the iTrails framework for pay-as-you-go information integration, which was recently presented at VLDB 2007 [1]. iTrails allows users to provide mini-mappings on their data that sharply increase the quality of search results. The core idea is to extend the semantics of a standard graphical search engine such that the quality of search results approaches the quality of a full-blown information integration system. In contrast to [1], this paper shows how iTrails can be used to tackle the challenges of adding structured information support to web search engines. We will show how iTrails enriches a web search engine with a powerful query rewriting mechanism enabling this engine to perform not only search but also integration of structured information.