This course provides an overview of the important issues in information retrieval, and how those issues affect the design and implementation of search engine software. The course emphasizes the technology used in Web search engines and the information retrieval theories and concepts that underlie all search applications. Mathematical experience including basic probability is strongly desirable.
Instructor: David Smith, Assistant Professor in Computer and Information Science (Office Hours: Thursdays 3-5; WVH 356)
TA: Ting Chen (Fridays 1-3, WVH 472)
Class meeting: Thursdays 6-9 p.m., Shillman 335
Piazza discussion board: https://piazza.com/class#fall2014/cs6200
There is no single required text for the course; however, readings will be assigned from two different texts, and we strongly suggest following the readings from one or both of the following:
Lecture notes will be posted on the syllabus.
Assignments after the first one will be submitted via Subversion. You will need to use your CCIS account to access the repository. Some handy links:
svn checkout
https://trac.ccs.neu.edu/svn/cs6200f14/<huskyusername>svn update or svn upsvn status or svn stsvn add <file>svn commit -m "some descriptive message"Tip: <huskyusername> is the part of your @husky.neu.edu e-mail address before the @
Tip: You may need to
add --username=<ccisusername> to the above if
your CCIS username differs from the username on the machine
where you are editing the svn repository.
Tip: <ccisusername> is the part of your @ccs.neu.edu e-mail address before the @
There will be six assignments. Instructions and due dates will be posted on the course website as they are assigned. Some of the problems will be difficult, and it will often be helpful to discuss them with others. Feel free to form study groups; however, the idea is for everyone to understand the problems and experience working through the solutions, so you may not simply "give" a solution to another classmate. In particular, each student must write up his or her own homework solutions and must not read or copy the solutions of others. If you work with others on a problem, you must note with whom you discussed the problem at the beginning of your solution write-up.
Late policy: Assignments are due at the the announced due date and time, usually 11:59 p.m. You will be granted one homework extension of four calendar days, to be used at your discretion, no questions asked. After the first late assignment, unexcused late assignments will be penalized 20% per calendar day late. We normally will not accept assignments after the date on which the following assignment is due or after the solutions have been handed out, whichever comes first. If you are in circumstances that would cause you to turn in an assignment late, please contact me in advance to obtain full credit.
Some homework will require written answers and short programming exercises; others will involve more extensive programming and a short report on your design choices and experimental results.
All work submitted for credit must be your own.
You may discuss the homework problems or projects with your classmates, the TA, and the instructor. You must acknowledge the people with whom you discussed your work, and you must write up your own solutions.
Any written sources used (apart from the text) must also be acknowledged; however, you may not consult any solutions from previous years' assignments whether they are student or faculty generated.
If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic accommodations in this course and have not yet met with a Disability Specialist, please visit www.northeastern.edu/drc and follow the outlined procedure to request services.
If the Disability Resource Center has formally approved you for an academic accommodation in this class, please present the instructor with your “Professor Notification Letter” during the first week of the semester, so that we can address your specific needs as early as possible.