International Workshop on Large-scale Biomedical Semantic Indexing and Question Answering (BioASQ)

University Of Houston, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests partial support for the International Workshop on Large-scale Biomedical Semantic Indexing and Question Answering (BioASQ). BioASQ (http://www.bioasq.org) has been organized twice so far, in 2013 and 2014, and aims to promote research in information technology towards highly precise biomedical information access systems. In particular, BioASQ ensures that the biomedical experts of the future can rely on software tools to identify, process and present the fragments of the huge space of biomedical resources that address their personal questions. The BioASQ workshop is combined with a series of challenges (competitions), in which systems from teams around the world compete. The main aims of BioASQ include: Scientific: Advancing the state-of-the-art in large-scale semantic indexing and question answering. The first two workshops have already demonstrated significant progress and provided a very positive momentum. Dissemination: Establishment of BioASQ as a reference point in biomedical question answering. Key players in the field participate in BioASQ and contribute to the exchange of innovative ideas. At the same time, BioASQ provides benchmark data and a common basis for testing new ideas. Outreach: Attracting a large number of participants from around the globe. In the first two BioASQ workshops a balanced number of teams from three continents (Americas, Europe and Asia) participated. These teams were primarily staffed by highly motivated junior researchers who are eager to contribute towards a solution to this important and difficult problem.