Information Retrieval for the Working Scientist: A Simple Algorithm

Abstract

Many scientists collect and maintain citations, references, and reprints in diverse forms. Investigators differ in the use, intensity, and breadth of their collections. The effort may be motivated by potential use to students and colleagues or may exist only long enough to deal with a particular problem or research project. All collections are subject to problems of care, cataloging, storage, and probably most important, of retrieval. Some workers have developed complex indexing procedures and some have given up and just stick them in boxes by author or date or some vague subject categorization. Several characteristics of modern digital computers afford some aid in solving the information retrieval problems. Many universities have time available to faculty and some have terminals available in most departments. Many installations have tape and disc storage and most serious workers have cardreading devices available within a short walk. Yet few investigators have computerized their efforts, preferring to await the future (Brown et al., 1967). Meanwhile, they expend time and effort in frustrating searches or extensive indexing. Computerized information retrieval of his own material is available