Intellectual access to pictorial information

Abstract

Visual materials represent a significantly different type of communication to textual materials and therefore present distinct challenges for the process of retrieval, especially if by retrieval we mean intellectual access to the content of images. This paper outlines the special characteristics of visual materials, focusing on their potential complexity and subjectivity, and the methods used and explored for gaining access to visual materials as reported in the literature. It concludes that methods of access to visual materials are dominated by the relatively mature systems developed for textual materials and that access methods based on visual communication are still largely in the developmental or prototype stage. Although reported research on user requirements in the retrieval of visual information is noticeably lacking, the results of at least one study indicate that the visually-based retrieval methods of structured and unstructured browsing seem to be preferred for visual materials and that effective retrieval methods are ultimately related to characteristics of the enquirer and the visual information sought.