SOCIAL Q&A: AN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK BASED QUESTION AND ANSWER SYSTEM

Abstract

The exponential growth of online information has increased the demand for effective Question and Answer (Q&A) systems. Traditional Q&A platforms suffer from slow response times, low answer quality, and a high percentage of unanswered questions due to reliance on random browsing or altruism. SocialQ&A is an intelligent online social network-based Q&A system that leverages social relationships to improve answer quality and reduce waiting time. By utilizing common-interest and mutual-trust properties of social networks, the system actively forwards questions to friends or users who are most likely to provide relevant, highquality answers. SocialQ&A integrates user interest profiling, question categorization, and a question-user mapping algorithm based on interest similarity and social closeness. The system was evaluated through simulations and analysis of real-user behavior, demonstrating significant improvements in answer quality, response time, and user satisfaction compared to conventional Q&A platforms. SocialQ&A offers a scalable, community-driven solution ideal for educational institutions, enterprise knowledge sharing, and general social platforms.