Master thesis student

Email:  jaleh.ghorbani-bavani@stud.uni-due.de

Thesis topic:  What-if? Visual Explanations in a Scientific Literature Recommender System

Related project: RIMA

Supervisor(s):  M. Sc. Mouadh Guesmi, M. Sc. Shoeb Joarder, M. Sc. Qurat Ul Ain

Thesis duration:  12 / 2021 - 06 / 2022

Description

Although recommender systems are always an unreliable black box for users, explanations can make them clear and reliable. Users need explanations to decide whether to follow recommendations. There may be a discrepancy between the received outcome (recommended items) and the result that the user anticipates when an explanation focuses on a set of selected factors. Therefore, there is a requirement to control and change the selected factors. What-if explanations help the user to recognize the influencing factors scientifically and, discover a better understanding of control.

The purpose of this thesis is to implement a publication recommender system and visual What-if explanations as a part of the RIMA application. Furthermore, we will investigate the influence of the explanations using transparency, satisfaction, scrutability, trust, Persuasiveness, effectiveness and, efficiency criterion to address the research question about how What-if explanations might enhance the user's understanding of the system.