ALNResearch WebCenter now includes an extensive individual recommender system, which will grow in importance as the database grows from the hundreds of entries now there to thousands. New features include:

• Recommender System: the recommender system contains two kinds of recommendations: 1. keywords matching your interests, and 2. people who share similar interests with you and read similar articles. The recommendation system will work more accurately when you “rate” the article while you are reading it.
• Feedback: a 5-minute survey about the recommender system is at http://www.alnresearch.org/JSP/
  survey.jsp. We would really appreciate knowing your thoughts, so we can improve the system.
• The WebCenter provides a list of new articles since last login. Thus, every member of the WebCenter gets a different, customized “home page” with every login.
• Improved search function: empirical articles and other categories of articles are indexed so that search results will contain all related articles.
• A new “methodology” section. The methodology section will contain papers that introduce research methodologies for ALN research.
• 40 new articles since March 2004.

Besides the database of empirical studies of ALN and other studies, additional features of the WebCenter help engage the members in the research community. These include a searchable Member Directory with photos and lists of specific research interests and contact info; the ability to comment on any article in the research database; digital videos of some researchers; a discussion forum; contributions to the database; and tutorials.