Using  iCrossReaderTM
 

I. GETTING STARTED
 

1. SPECIFY Your Task

Program has three subtypes of the main interface depending on a user's  task. By default it is opened in the "Find..." mode.
In order to get idea of the differences between these three modes click "?" near  «Specify your task»
When program starts in the right side of interface  there are simple tips for working in any of three modes.
Clicking buttons grouped under  «Specify your task» option will display tips specific for each of the working modes. You can  switch on/off the tips window by clicking the  «View necessary tips». It will disappear by default after clicking the Start button and in case when any results have been saved previously.

2. ADDRESS Your Search

Address your Search button will open a window prompting you to indicate different kinds of sources (or their combination)  to be searched.

3. DB & Queries Manager

This option will give you access to previous results. It also lets you to organize working with many different databases (each composed of several sources). You can create, rename, modify, delete or save your databases and "queries" (this is results and settings).

4. Advanced Options

If you are not an advanced user you may skip the option accessible through this button. Though they may be needed for getting better results. Here one can adjust settings for working with Internet, Stop-lists, thesaurus, editing DB files, etc.

5. Compose Query / Context

Tips for composing a query are available in a special window when the program is started. Recommendations for more complex syntax are described in Query Syntax  (pop-up Menu, Help).

When clicking Context you may use the same field for entering context words. Context option can be additionally adjusted  using options accessible in the below of this field. See recommendations for using context in Manual section.

6. ADJUST Settings

Select a level on the Adjust Settings scale depending on the selected working mode (Task) and a supposed amount of information in the requested sources (view recommendations in Necessary Tips).

Clicking Start will make visible a Result's Preview window, which is described in Manual below. Information about the working process is displayed within a message window in the bottom of interface.
You may Pause/Continue or Stop the process. This last action will make the Display Full Results button accessible (in case that any results were obtained).
 

II. M A N U A L

1. General
2. Getting Started
3. Addressing the Database
4. Database Preprocessing
5. Initial Query
6. User's List of Unchangeable Words
7. Using Context
8. Thematic Vocabulary
9. Stop Words List
10. Processing Mode
11. Profile
12. AUTO
13. Time
14. Language
15. Start, Pause, Continue, Stop
16. Automatic Renewal of the Query
17. Information Displayed in Course of Processing
18. Viewing the Full Results


1. General

Please, don't delete, rename or modify the files located within the iCrossReader folder.
.
2. Getting Started

Run the CR.exe within the iCrossReader directory.

Results of data processing (together with the initial query itself and your settings for data processing) are saved within the iCrossReader folder in subdirectories named after corresponding queries. If you have not provided a unique name to a query, then it is saved as Untitled. You can create and save as many queries as needed (so as rename, delete or copy existing ones) with the help of DB & Queries Manager. Folders named after Queries are stored within a subdirectory named after a corresponding database which had been analyzed. If you work with several databases, you can provide their names (e.g., name of a theme) in the DB & Queries Manager. If you have not created a unique name, the Database folder will be saved as Default in the iCrossReader directory. (Note: you cannot rename active Queries or Databases.)
 

3. Addressing the Database

These options are accessible via Address Search or when creating a new database via DB&Queries Manager.

4. Database Preprocessing

The program will process files in .html and .txt formats MS Word files,  and zip-archives of files in the above formats.

The program will perform a certain database preprocessing before the process of analyzing texts and compiling of the output material is initiated.
This procedure is aimed at subsequent using of a unified standard for clear distinction of paragraphs (information units), independently of the original text formatting.
This doesn't mean any modification of files in your original database folder.
 

5. Initial QUERY

One can put up to 5 words into a line. There can be up to 30 lines.

Important: the system considers the order of lines as corresponding to their relative value in user's query.
 

6. User's List of Unchangeable Words

This includes words which should not be subject for morphologic parsing (usually names and abbreviations).
 

7. Using Context

This is a nonobligatory used list of  words (terms) occurring at high frequencies within a given thematic field. You can use it in order to augment relevancy and informativity of the output material. For example, if query theme is related to information technologies, then context list should probably include such terms as "computers", "software", "www", "Internet", etc.

Pressing the Compose Context button will open a text window in which you can write in the words belonging to context. Type in the terms in a column.

By choosing a Use Context option you are able to increase the relevancy of the output material. The system will consider presence of the context words as an additional criteria for including a text fragment into an output material. This is particularly helpful when a word has several different meanings.

With the help of Include in Query option you indicate, whether the context terms should be included into newly created queries. Presence of common terms in queries generally results in increasing amount of the output material, accompanied by decrease of its informativity. Hence, in most cases choosing this option is not of advantage.
 

8. Thesaurus

This is a list of domain-specific concepts, which can be used for indexing of the processed texts, eliminating the necessity for the Stop words list.

Compose of single words written in a column,
 

9. Stop Words List

List of commonly used, auxiliary and syntactic words of a given language, which the system should not consider as meaningful.

Compose Basic opens an editable list of stop words, which are ignored when working with every project.

Compose Current displays an editable list of stop words, which are ignored when working with the current project, as considered being not informative for a given theme.
 

10. Processing Mode

Tuning of the system depending on the amount and quality of information.

Please mention, that being a registered user you can apply for a modified profile which will be optimally correspond to your tasks.
 

12. AUTO

Automatic decrease of requirements for data processing. Use it when expecting that data processing will take too long time. In this mode the system will test the database content: if there is insufficient information relevant to the query, the program will gradually decrease the requirements for selecting and arranging of the information items.

Currently disabled.
 

13. Time

Indicate the suitable data processing time (hours & minutes). iCrossReaderTM exploits a built-in strategy of using the reserved time.

Temporarily disabled.

14. Language

You may change the Language of data processing. Selection automatically activates corresponding linguistic facilities, including the Stop Words List and parsing. Default is set to English.
 

15. Start, Pause, Continue, Stop

The Start button lets user to initiate the data processing. Be sure to press this button after all other options are properly selected.

There is an option to Pause the data processing. This lets to edit the current query, created by the system and displayed in the Current Query window. In order to resume processing press Continue.
Pressing the Stop button lets user to finish the data processing.
 

16. Automatic Renewal of the Query

Under Retrieve ... & Arrange... task modes iCrossReaderTM will permanently renew your initial query, producing query lines which can more precisely describe the theme, as it is present in the database materials. Such renewed queries will sequentially replace each other in the  Query window.
 

17. Information Displayed in Course of Processing

The Results Preview frame will display messages concerning formation of every new information Section (Cluster) (part of the output material).
Upon selection of any section within the Result's Preview List of Sections frame, you can view the Key Words corresponding to this Section of text fragments. These are words which helped to select material for the given information cluster.
Simultaneously, in the Suggested Words frame there will be shown additionally revealed words, characteristic for this part of content. These latter words will also be included into the newly formed query (under Retrieve ... & Arrange... tasks)

The Processing Messaging fields in the beneath of the program window will display information about the course of working process, including error messages.
Note: you may check option to display only error messages.

Here are listed in particular:
 - the names of screened files;
 - error messages;
 - message "Step", followed by the numbers indicating accordingly: the number of the query being processed, total amount of processing time (the database preprocessing period not counted), remaining processing time (regarding the time limit preset by the user);
 - message "Read", followed by the numbers indicating accordingly: total amount of analyzed files and the number of screened paragraphs.
 - message "Found", followed by the numbers indicating accordingly: total amount of selected paragraphs (included in the output material), number of  words, suggested for including into new query.
 

18. Viewing the Full Results

Pressing the Display Full Results button will launch a file in HTML format, presenting a List of Clusters (thematic parts) of the output material. Each Cluster is accompanied with two groups of characteristic words. These are Key Words which were used to select material for the given cluster, and the additionally revealed, or Suggested words. The amount of paragraphs within each Cluster is indicated also.

From each point in the List of Clusters there is a hypertext link to the Cluster of text fragments itself. Clicking the View Full Document button, which precedes each text paragraph, will take you to a corresponding place of the whole document. This unformatted text contains also a link to the initial (original) document.

The Result files are kept in iCrossReader folder within a subdirectory named after a given Database in a folder named the same way as was the name of the query. The starting (contents) file is called main.htm.
Note, that when you repeat the processing procedure while using the same name for the Query, the results will be overwritten.


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