DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7940964
title: SE-PQA: a Resource for Personalized Community Question Answering

description: Personalization in Information Retrieval is a topic studied for a long time. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of high-quality, real-world datasets to conduct large-scale experiments and evaluate models for personalized search. This paper contributes to fill this gap by introducing SE-PQA (StackExchange - Personalized Question Answering), a new resource to design and evaluate personalized models related to the two tasks of community Question Answering (cQA). The contributed dataset includes more than  1 million queries and 2 million answers,  annotated with a rich set of features modeling the social interactions among the users of a popular cQA platform. We describe the characteristics of SE-PQA and detail the features associated with both questions and answers. We also provide reproducible baseline methods for the cQA task based on the resource, including deep learning models and personalization approaches. The results of the preliminary experiments conducted show the appropriateness of SE-PQA to train effective cQA models; they also show that personalization improves remarkably the effectiveness of all the methods tested. Furthermore, we show the benefits in terms of robustness and generalization of combining data from multiple communities for personalization purposes.


 


Performance on all communities separately:



	
		
			Community
			Model (BM25 +)
			P@1
			NDCG@3
			NDCG@10
			R@100
			MAP@100
			$\lambda$
		
	
	
		
			Academia
			MiniLM
			0.438
			0.382
			0.395
			0.489
			0.344
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.453
			0.392
			0.403
			0.489
			0.352
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Anime
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.650
			0.682
			0.714
			0.856
			0.683
			(.1,.9,.0)
		
		
			Apple
			MiniLM
			0.327
			0.351
			0.381
			0.514
			0.349
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.335
			0.361
			0.389
			0.514
			0.357
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Bicycles
			MiniLM
			0.405
			0.380
			0.421
			0.600
			0.365
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.436
			0.405
			0.441
			0.600
			0.386
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Boardgames
			MiniLM
			0.681
			0.694
			0.728
			0.866
			0.692
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.696
			0.702
			0.736
			0.866
			0.699
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Buddhism
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.490
			0.387
			0.397
			0.544
			0.334
			(.3,.7,.0)
		
		
			Christianity
			MiniLM
			0.534
			0.505
			0.555
			0.783
			0.497
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.549
			0.521
			0.564
			0.783
			0.507
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Cooking
			MiniLM
			0.600
			0.567
			0.600
			0.719
			0.553
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.619
			0.583
			0.614
			0.719
			0.568
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			DIY
			MiniLM
			0.323
			0.313
			0.346
			0.501
			0.302
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.335
			0.324
			0.356
			0.501
			0.312
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Expatriates
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.596
			0.653
			0.682
			0.832
			0.645
			(.1,.9,.0)
		
		
			Fitness
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.568
			0.575
			0.613
			0.760
			0.567
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Freelancing
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.513
			0.472
			0.506
			0.654
			0.457
			(.1,.9,.0)
		
		
			Gaming
			MiniLM
			0.510
			0.534
			0.562
			0.686
			0.532
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.519
			0.547
			0.571
			0.686
			0.541
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Gardening
			MiniLM
			0.344
			0.362
			0.396
			0.520
			0.359
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.345
			0.369
			0.399
			0.520
			0.363
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Genealogy
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.592
			0.605
			0.631
			0.779
			0.594
			(.3,.7,.0)
		
		
			Health
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.718
			0.765
			0.797
			0.934
			0.765
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Gaming
			MiniLM
			0.510
			0.534
			0.562
			0.686
			0.532
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.519
			0.547
			0.571
			0.686
			0.541
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Hermeneutics
			MiniLM
			0.589
			0.538
			0.593
			0.828
			0.526
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.632
			0.570
			0.617
			0.828
			0.552
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Hinduism
			MiniLM
			0.388
			0.415
			0.459
			0.686
			0.416
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.382
			0.410
			0.457
			0.686
			0.412
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			History
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.740
			0.735
			0.764
			0.862
			0.730
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Hsm
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.666
			0.707
			0.737
			0.870
			0.690
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Interpersonal
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.663
			0.617
			0.653
			0.739
			0.604
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Islam
			MiniLM
			0.382
			0.412
			0.453
			0.642
			0.410
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.395
			0.427
			0.464
			0.642
			0.421
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Judaism
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.363
			0.387
			0.432
			0.649
			0.388
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Law
			MiniLM
			0.663
			0.647
			0.678
			0.803
			0.639
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.677
			0.657
			0.687
			0.803
			0.649
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Lifehacks
			MiniLM
			0.714
			0.601
			0.617
			0.703
			0.553
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.714
			0.621
			0.631
			0.703
			0.568
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Linguistics
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.584
			0.588
			0.630
			0.794
			0.587
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Literature
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.871
			0.878
			0.889
			0.934
			0.876
			(.3,.7,.0)
		
		
			Martialarts
			MiniLM
			0.630
			0.599
			0.645
			0.796
			0.596
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.640
			0.628
			0.660
			0.796
			0.612
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Money
			MiniLM
			0.545
			0.535
			0.563
			0.706
			0.515
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.559
			0.542
			0.571
			0.706
			0.523
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Movies
			MiniLM
			0.713
			0.722
			0.753
			0.865
			0.724
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.728
			0.735
			0.762
			0.865
			0.735
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Music
			MiniLM
			0.508
			0.447
			0.476
			0.602
			0.418
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.522
			0.460
			0.486
			0.602
			0.427
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Musicfans
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.531
			0.531
			0.560
			0.693
			0.539
			(.1,.9,.0)
		
		
			Opensource
			MiniLM
			0.574
			0.593
			0.621
			0.771
			0.581
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.577
			0.598
			0.622
			0.771
			0.581
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Outdoors
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.681
			0.643
			0.675
			0.819
			0.629
			(.1,.9,.0)
		
		
			Parenting
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.485
			0.430
			0.452
			0.602
			0.399
			(.1,.9,.0)
		
		
			Pets
			MiniLM
			0.509
			0.531
			0.565
			0.685
			0.523
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.519
			0.549
			0.581
			0.685
			0.541
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Philosophy
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.568
			0.514
			0.546
			0.707
			0.491
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Politics
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.659
			0.630
			0.659
			0.814
			0.608
			(.1,.9,.0)
		
		
			Rpg
			MiniLM
			0.657
			0.646
			0.685
			0.849
			0.640
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.677
			0.660
			0.695
			0.849
			0.651
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Scifi
			MiniLM
			0.532
			0.563
			0.596
			0.745
			0.559
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.549
			0.574
			0.606
			0.745
			0.569
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Skeptics
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.862
			0.869
			0.887
			0.969
			0.867
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Sound
			MiniLM
			0.377
			0.410
			0.451
			0.626
			0.405
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.380
			0.423
			0.454
			0.626
			0.413
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Sports
			MiniLM
			0.673
			0.721
			0.756
			0.902
			0.724
			(.2,.8)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.692
			0.743
			0.775
			0.902
			0.740
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Sustainability
			MiniLM
			0.657
			0.677
			0.735
			0.895
			0.675
			(.1,.9)
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			694
			0.716
			0.763
			0.895
			0.706
			(.1,.8,.1)
		
		
			Travel
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.546
			0.547
			0.576
			0.700
			0.530
			(.1,.9,.0)
		
		
			Vegetarianism
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.623
			0.626
			0.678
			0.869
			0.641
			(.3,.7,.0)
		
		
			Woodworking
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.656
			0.654
			0.692
			0.847
			0.645
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Workplace
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.574
			0.444
			0.429
			0.495
			0.359
			(.3,.7,.0)
		
		
			Writers
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.561
			0.490
			0.516
			0.644
			0.466
			(.2,.8,.0)
		
		
			Average
			MiniLM
			0.519
			0.506
			0.536
			0.677
			0.492
			-
		
		
			 
			MiniLM + TAG
			0.530
			0.515
			0.544
			0.677
			0.500
			-