A customer self service system and method for performing resource search
and selection. The method includes steps of providing an interface
enabling entry of a query for a resource and specification of one or more
user context elements, each element representing a context associated with
the current user state and having context attributes and attribute values
associated therewith; enabling user specification of relevant resource
selection criteria for enabling expression of relevance of resource
results in terms of user context; searching a resource database and
generating a resource response set having resources that best match a
user's query, user context attributes and user defined relevant resource
selection criteria; presenting said resource response set to the user in a
manner whereby a relevance of each of the resources being expressed in
terms of user context in a manner optimized to facilitate resource
selection; and, enabling continued user selection and modification of
context attribute values to enable increased specificity and accuracy of a
user's query to thereby result in improved selection logic and attainment
of resource response sets best fitted to the query. More particularly,
adaptive algorithms and supervised and unsupervised learning sub-processes
are implemented to enable the self service resource search and selection
system to learn from each and all users and make that learning
operationally benefit all users over time.
