Information Retrieval Methodologies Research Articles

Effects of linguistic functions on information retrieval in a German‐language full‐text database: comparison between retrieval in abstract and full text

This paper reports the results of the information retrieval project PADOK‐II. This project, which began in November 1987, is being carried out by the Linguistic Information Science Group of the University of Regensburg (LIR) in cooperation with the German Patent Office (GPO) and is sponsored by the German Ministry for Research and Technology. The long‐term aim is to integrate artificial intelligence into information retrieval research without neglecting traditional information retrieval methodology. In PADOK‐II an information retrieval system is considered which indexes documents rather shallowly using free‐text or morphological components. A large‐scale retrieval test has been carried out, based on the German Patent Information System. Answers have been obtained to some 400 queries made by 10 users in simulated real‐life situations. These results have been used to attempt to answer the question: ‘How do the linguistically‐based functions of an indexing system contribute to its performance?’ As a spinoff of this test, the influence of document size and structure was studied with a view to identifying the most reasonable basic content for a German Patent Information System.

Linguistically based functions in information retrieval: PADOK and the German Patent Information System

This paper reports on methodological considerations and the results of the Information Retrieval (IR) project PADOK I and II. PADOK has been carried out by the Linguistic Information Science Group of the University of Regensburg (LIR) since November 1984 and has been sponsored by the German Ministry for Research and Technology. The long term objective is to integrate artificial intelligence topics and the methods of information retrieval research without neglecting traditional IR methodology. In PADOK we consider a type of mass data IR system which indexes its documents rather shallowly (freetext or morphological components) and adds an intelligent information retrieval component to this kernel system. So far we have obtained, on the basis of two large-scale retrieval tests of the German Patent Information System results which show how the linguistically based functions of an indexing system contribute to its performance, and indicate what is the most reasonable basic content analysis program for a German Patent Information System. This paper focusses on the general principles and aims of PADOK I and PADOK R and on the statistical evaluation of the retrieval tests. Christa Womser-Hacker has a Ph.D. in Linguistic Information Science. From 1985 until 1990 she was involved in several LIR-Projects concerning text processing, evaluation of the German Patent Information System, man-machine-interaction, intelligent interfaces for databases. Since May 1990 she has been an LIR staff member. She is interested in information retrieval, (statistical) evaluation methods of man-machine-interaction, intelligent interfaces. She has published Der PADOK-Retrieval-test (1989) and “Die statistische Auswertung des Retrievaltests” (1990).

Optical storage of page images and pictorial data - opportunities and needed advances in information retrieval

We describe two current development projects at the Library of Congress using high-density optical storage, both of which require more advanced and improved computer-based information retrieval methodologies than existing bibliographic retrieval systems. A much greater emphasis will be placed on the information content of the articles rather than on the broad subject categories in general use for computer retrieval citations to book materials. Needed approaches include the linking of selected external reference sources and the extraction of character-encoded index information from the page images by OCR techniques. Our position is that extremely high density storage of articles in a single subject area requires a finer resolution in the retrieval system accessing the material. A single side of a 12-inch digital optical disk, for example, can hold 15 years of the Journal of the ACM.