Interactive Information Retrieval Systems Research Articles

A comparative survey of the friendliness of online “help” in interactive information retrieval systems

This article discusses the provision of “help” in interactive information retrieval systems (IIRS) and describes a comparative survey of the “help” facilities of 16 such systems. Six guidelines for the design of a “help” facility are drawn up and these are used to evaluate the quality and friendliness of the “help” provided by each system. The scores indicate that “help” on IIRS is often inadequate, especially on the commercial online systems. The article concludes by discussing why “help” is so unfriendly and by suggesting some ways in which online “help” could be improved.

Hierarchical coding method of still pictures with component separation

AbstractIn the interactive information retrieval system using images with wide areas such as aerial photographs, in general, it is difficult to display the entire image with a sufficient resolution because of the limited number of pixels that can be displayed by the device. Consequently, it is desirable in such a system that an arbitrary subarea of the image can be retrieved and displayed with a high speed. From such a viewpoint, this paper proposes and discusses the hierarchical component separation coding. In the proposed method, the image information is separated into two components such as the gray level and the resolution components in the block truncation code, and the two components are coded hierarchically in regard to the resolution from rough to detailed levels. By this scheme, an arbitrary part of the image can be retrieved and displayed with the specified resolution. An experiment was made by computer simulation, wherein the block truncation code is applied to the proposed code. It is shown that hierarchical representation of the image in regard to the resolution as well as the code compression of one‐half to four‐fifths can be realized. It is shown also, by applying the proposed coding to the actual image retrieval system that, the code complexity in terminal transmission for the retrieval of the object image can be reduced from one‐fifth to one‐half the traditional method, leading to a high‐speed retrieval and display.

A General - Purpose Retrieval of Information Package (GRIP) for Bibliographic Databases

A general-purpose, interactive computerized information retrieval system specially suitable for the retrieval of bibliographic information from a small scale database. (DB) containing up to 15000 records is described. The user defines fields in terms of tags through the data definition processor which provides flexibility for the record structure. Another processor creates the DB from an off-line input file containing the tag(s) followed by the data for the field(s) supplied by the user. Retrieval of information is carried out by the query processor in an interactive manner. It provides options to (i) select a descriptor (the postings are displayed; (ii) combine 2 sets at a time; (iii) display the different sets chosen; and iv) print the chosen set(s) with full record details or specified tag fields only. The package is developed on an Usha-Alpha 1042 system using Alpha BASIC language under AMOS operating system.

Picture Transmission for Videotex

Videotex system is an interactive two-way information retrieval system providing a host of information from its vast database via the telephone network. It allows the subscriber to request information by dialling up the videotex computer; select pages of text and pictorial information and have them displayed on the screens of adapted home television sets.

ASK FOR INFORMATION RETRIEVAL: PART I. BACKGROUND AND THEORY

We report the results of a British Library Research and Development Department‐funded design study for an interactive information retrieval system which will determine structural representations of the anomalous states of knowledge (ASKs) underlying information needs, and attempt to resolve the anomalies through a variety of retrieval strategies performed on a database of documents represented in compatible structural formats. Part I discusses the background to the project and the theory underlying it, Part II (next issue) presents our methods, results and conclusions. Basic premises of the project were: that information needs are not in principle precisely specifiable; that it is possible to elicit problem statements from information system users from which representations of the ASK underlying the need can be derived; that there are classes of ASKs; and, that all elements of information retrieval systems ought to be based on the user's ASK. We have developed a relatively freeform interview technique for eliciting problem statements, and a statistical word co‐occurrence analysis for deriving network representations of the problem statements and abstracts. Structural characteristics of the representations have been used to determine classes of ASKs, and both ASK and information structures have been evaluated by, respectively, users and authors. Some results are: that interviewing appears to be a satisfactory technique for eliciting problem statements from which ASKs can be determined; that the statistical analysis produces structures which are generally appropriate both for documents and problem statements; that ASKs thus represented can be usefully classified according to their structural characteristics; and, that of thirty‐five subjects, only two had ASKs for which traditional ‘best match’ retrieval would be intuitively appropriate. The results of the design study indicate that at least some of our premises are reasonable, and that an ASK‐based information retrieval system is at least feasible.

COMPAIS: a computer assisted information system

A computerized online interactive information storage and retrieval system that supports automation of library operations such as circulation control, serials control, docu ments acquisition, SDI, and production of union catalogues and authority lists, is briefly described. The data base con sists of a Master File (MF) of resource records, Encoding and Decoding Dictionaries, and Inverted Files. The MF consists of four subfiles: Document descriptions, Institution profiles, Ongoing research projects descriptions, and Specialists pro files. Fixed and variable fields are used. Similar data elements in different subfiles are assigned the same tag. Updating of files includes addition/deletion of whole records, addition/ deletion of fields, and changing the value of a field. Simul taneous access to one or more files and subfiles. Handles complex search expressions containing one or more Boolean operators and other relations. All data elements in the MF are accessible; frequently searched elements are inverted. Accepts input query with or without specification of field tag. A spe cial coding scheme for national and international organiza tions facilitates standardization of names of corporate bodies and hierarchical retrieval by code components. Choice from among four output/display formats for each subfile provided for. The action programs are in COBOL and the IMS/9Ø soft ware package interfaces with the UNIVAC computer on which the system is implemented.

MESSIDOR system

MESSIDOR is an interactive information retrieval system. It differs from current systems in that it allows the simultaneous search of several bibliographic databases. The databases may be on different sites and may use different query languages (MISTRAL, QUEST,...). These local languages are invisible to the users of MESSIDOR. They are all translated to a single language. We describe MESSIDOR's goals, system architecture, user language and some details of the implementation. The system is implemented on a MICRAL 80-30 microcomputer.

The use of an interactive information storage and retrieval system in medical research

This paper presents the results of a study of the use of an interactive computerized storage and retrieval system. A monitor built into the computer system provided usage data for the study. Additional data on user reactions were gathered from a questionnaire. The results show the important role played by frequently chosen laboratory reference leaders in influencing the use of this system. The implications of the study for the design of similar systems are discussed.

A computer aided information retrieval system for medical information

An on-line information retrieval system for medical information which has been developed by the authors is described in detail. Since CAI (Computer Aided Instruction) is a built-in function of this system, users may use it on the man-machine interaction basis and are not required to take training in advance to use it.First of all, the authors mention the types of on-line interactive information retrieval systems generally, and then the software structures, data-base files, and the basic operation procedures of this system.Further, they show the flow of operations and displays of the search steps or results in terms of all data-base files of the system.Finally, they describe the result of the examination for observing how sample users react to the system and conclude that it has received wide approval from the users irrespective of problems.

Some thoughts on an interactive information retrieval system

"Documents are in natural languages and the person seeking information from a document collection will almost always find it easiest to put his request in the language of everyday discourse." - Karen Sparck Jones.

ITV, Telephone, and computer as an instructional system

The telephone and ITV were successfully linked with a computer to provide an interactive information retrieval system useful in the instructional process. The technological feasibility of using an ordinary telephone to control a computer and ITV broadcast was clearly demonstrated, although the costs for this prototype system would have to be reduced greatly before such a system would be economically feasible. Our testing did show that the system was capable of providing information to the user so that performance on subsequent tests did improve. However, one would have to research very carefully the performance of this system measured against other instructional techniques before any type of meaningful comparisons could be drawn. We can conclude that technologically an information retrieval system using telephone and ITV under computer control could be used as part of either a traditional learning structure or a more varied system of education. The response of the teachers to questions about this system and the use of technology in education was a very positive endorsement of the concept. But much research must be done before any clear-cut “best method” can be determined. Probably, there will be many systems that will answer different needs, based on the variability of such things as available funds, level of sophistication in the use of technology, social pressures, etc. There will be no one “best method.”

A translating computer interface for a network of heterogeneous interactive information retrieval systems

The need for a network of heterogeneous interactive bibliographic information retrieval systems is projected from the facts of wide acceptance and growing demand for these systems and the limitations of their use caused by limited online data base size. Because of the established characters of the different I-R systems and unlikelihood that a standardized I-R system leading directly to the ultimate uniform network will soon be generally adopted, we propose an intermediate solution in which computer interfaces would provide the networking capability by translating and converting among the diverse languages and data bases of existing systems.We have begun work on such a network in which the computer interface is based on the concept of a common language for commands, indexing vocabularies, and data base structures. In particular, the common language for commands and data base structures is based on identifying the basic or primitive I-R functions and bibliographic data base elements. The conversion among indexing vocabularies is based on the concept of a Master Index and Thesaurus containing the conglomerate thesaurus information from the separate data bases. In addition, the phrase decomposition and stemming of the individual words in the search request and subject index phrases are used as further techniques for automated conversion among diverse vocabularies. An initial experimental interface is described which interconnects the M.I.T. Intrex system, the MEDLINE retrieval system, and the TYMNET computer network using the ARPANET Terminal Interface Processors for intercomputer communication.

A translating computer interface for a network of heterogeneous interactive information retrieval systems

The need for a network of heterogeneous interactive bibliographic information retrieval systems is projected from the facts of wide acceptance and growing demand for these systems and the limitations of their use caused by limited online data base size. Because of the established characters of the different I-R systems and unlikelihood that a standardized I-R system leading directly to the ultimate uniform network will soon be generally adopted, we propose an intermediate solution in which computer interfaces would provide the networking capability by translating and converting among the diverse languages and data bases of existing systems.We have begun work on such a network in which the computer interface is based on the concept of a common language for commands, indexing vocabularies, and data base structures. In particular, the common language for commands and data base structures is based on identifying the basic or primitive I-R functions and bibliographic data base elements. The conversion among indexing vocabularies is based on the concept of a Master Index and Thesaurus containing the conglomerate thesaurus information from the separate data bases. In addition, the phrase decomposition and stemming of the individual words in the search request and subject index phrases are used as further techniques for automated conversion among diverse vocabularies. An initial experimental interface is described which interconnects the M.I.T. Intrex system, the MEDLINE retrieval system, and the TYMNET computer network using the ARPANET Terminal Interface Processors for intercomputer communication.

Language decisions made while designing an interactive information retrieval system

Language decisions made while designing an interactive information retrieval system

Language decisions made while designing an interactive information retrieval system

Language decisions made while designing an interactive information retrieval system

Interface design for an interactive information retrieval system: A literature survey and a research system description

AbstractThis article focuses on the human interaction characteristics of an information retrieval system, suggests some design considerations to improve man‐machine cooperation, and describes a research system at Stanford that is exploring some of these techniques.Librarians can only be of limited assistance in helping the naive user formulate an unstructured feeling in his mind into an appropriate search query that maps into the retrieval system. Consequently, the process of query formulation by the user, interactively with the information available in the system, remains one of the principal problems in information retrieval today.In an attempt to solve this problem by improving the interface communication between man and the computer, we have pursued the objective of displaying hierarchically structured index trees on a CRT in a decision tree format permitting the user merely to point (with a light pen) at alternatives which seem most appropriate to him. Using his passive rather than his active vocabulary expands his interaction vocabulary by at least an order of magnitude. Moreover, a hierarchically displayed index is a modified thesaurus, and may be augmented by adding lateral links to provide semantic assistance to the user. A hierarchical structure was chosen because it seems to replicate the structure of cognitive thought processes most closely, thus allowing the simplest, most direct transfer of the man's problem into the structure and vocabulary of the system.