Entropy-based automated wrapper generation for weblog data extraction

This paper proposes a fully automated information extraction methodology for weblogs. The methodology integrates a set of relevant approaches based on the use of web feeds and processing of HTML for the extraction of weblog properties. The approach includes a model for generating a wrapper that exploits web feeds for deriving a set of extraction rules automatically. Instead of performing a pairwise comparison between posts, the model matches the values of the web feeds against their corresponding HTML elements retrieved from multiple weblog posts. It adopts a probabilistic approach for deriving a set of rules and automating the process of wrapper generation. An evaluation of the model is conducted on a collection of weblogs reporting a prediction accuracy of 89 %. The results of this evaluation show that the proposed technique enables robust extraction of weblog properties and can be applied across the blogosphere.