CAREER: User-Centric Data Management

The Web has permeated every facet of human activity. Web 2.0 is bringing a sea-change, both by the amount of user-generated content and by the level of automation for information exchange. The goal of this project is to promote quality on the Web into a first-class citizen, by (1) exposing quality information from Web data sources, (2) empowering users to specify their preferences for the different dimensions of quality (Quality of Service, Quality of Data, Quality of Information) through an intuitive, integrated framework, called Quality Agreements (QAs), and (3) influencing resource allocation decisions according to user preferences. Towards this, the project reexamines query processing techniques in order to consider QAs (namely, query and update scheduling, caching and replication, and admission control) and addresses new challenges, stemming from the users' need to adapt QAs over time and their ability to collaborate. Project plans include the validation of the QA framework with a user-study, the evaluation of the proposed algorithms analytically and experimentally, and prototype development. The experimental aspects of this research are directly linked to the educational goals of this project and will generate many opportunities for graduate, undergraduate, and high-school students to participate in the research and development of new technologies. This project will empower users to tailor quality on the Web according to their preferences, which in turn can have great implications on the usability of Web 2.0 applications and on users' experience and satisfaction. Results of this research, including software, data, and publications, will be made publicly available via the project web site.