A Conceptual Model and a Software Framework for Developing Context-Aware Hybrid Recommender Systems

This thesis introduces Hybreed, a software framework for building context-aware applications, together with a set of components that are specifically targeted at developing hybrid, context-aware recommender systems. Hybreed is based on a conceptual model called Dynamic Contextualization, which is also introduced in this thesis. The underlying notion of context is very generic, enabling application developers to exploit sensor-based physical factors as well as factors derived from user models or user-system interaction. This approach is well aligned with context definitions that emphasize the dynamic and activity-oriented nature of context. As an extension of the generic framework, Hybreed RecViews is introduced, a set of components facilitating the development of context-aware and hybrid recommender systems. With Hybreed and RecViews, developers can rapidly develop context-aware applications that generate recommendations for both individual users and groups.