| The quality of information filtering systems is limited by the quality of the underlying user profile. Most conventional profiles consist of a set of words describing user interests, and while such profiles may be sufficient for casual users, a broader profile is required before filtering systems prove to be useful in a corporate environment. Existing profiles are often unstructured, and consequently overlook factors that are significant to the decision maker. This paper proposes a holistic profile that addresses this inadequacy by providing a structure to the profile that assimilates not only user interests, but also concerns associated with the user's profession, with any projects with which the user is currently involved, with the type of industry in which the user is employed, and with the type of client served by the user.; The holistic profile enables the decision maker to remain current, informing him or her of opportunities for developing both professional skills and awareness by incorporating features that alert the professional to information that impacts the performance of his or her duties. Ongoing projects benefit greatly if management or team members are alerted to developments that might influence the successful completion of the project. In order to provide the best client services the user must be aware of external factors that could harm or benefit the client. In addition, the inclusion of organizational factors allows the information filtering system to serve as an environmental scanning tool for collecting information from the environment to assist in developing strategies to respond to that environment.; The holistic profile also features domain-specific templates to provide guidance during profile generation, an expansion mechanism to assist in selecting the most appropriate keywords, and a passive learning mechanism to insure that the holistic profile accurately reflects the user's dynamic information needs.; A prototype "holistic profile filtering system" demonstrates the increased effectiveness of the information filtering process. Because the resulting profile embraces the areas of professional development, project management, client services, and environmental scanning, it makes information filtering a more versatile tool with increased usefulness in a corporate environment. |
