Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining a competence rating of an author relating to one or more topics is disclosed. An exemplary method comprises determining semantic information associated with one or more documents related to the one or more topics, determining amplification information associated with the one or more documents, determining occurrence information associated with the author; and determining a competence rating for the author based at least in part on the semantic information associated with the one or more documents, the amplification information associated with the one or more documents, and the occurrence information associated with the author. A document rating for at least one of the one or more documents may also be determined based at least in part on the one or more weighted semantic features and the amplification information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for optimizing content targeting with optimal topics. An exemplary method comprises determining metadata characteristics associated with topics of interest, determining an inventory of the metadata characteristics, determining performance characteristics associated with the metadata characteristics; and determining optimal topics associated with the metadata characteristics. The metadata characteristics preferably include primary metadata characteristics and ancillary metadata characteristics associated with the primary metadata characteristics, and determining the optimal topics is preferably based at least in part on the inventory of the metadata characteristics and the performance characteristics of the metadata characteristics.