Information retrieval systems :
Lancaster, F. Wilfrid
Information retrieval systems : characteristics, testing, and evaluation / - New York : John Wiley & Sons, c1968. - xiv, 222 p. :ill,
Includes bibliographical references and index
As Lancaster clearly recognizes, "The quality of the index language is probably the most important single factor governing the performance of a retrieval system." Cited data on the MEDLARS system show that all but 2 of the system failures stem directly or indirectly from the inability of users to ask successfully for what they want in these extremely restricted and cantankerous "index languages." As a result, the actual performance of current systems range from mediocre to atrocious. An outstanding feature of the text is a careful and comprehensive evaluation of one of the best of the systems, MEDLARS. Overall, about 58% of the pertinent items in MEDLARS files are retrieved on request. Only about 50% of the items that are retrieved turn out to be pertinent to the request. This is not very good performance particularly when it is remembered that an "information retrieval system does not inform the user on the subject of his inquiry. It merely informs him on the existence ... of documents
0471512400
Information storage and retrieval systems.
Z699 / .L35
029 / LAN
Information retrieval systems : characteristics, testing, and evaluation / - New York : John Wiley & Sons, c1968. - xiv, 222 p. :ill,
Includes bibliographical references and index
As Lancaster clearly recognizes, "The quality of the index language is probably the most important single factor governing the performance of a retrieval system." Cited data on the MEDLARS system show that all but 2 of the system failures stem directly or indirectly from the inability of users to ask successfully for what they want in these extremely restricted and cantankerous "index languages." As a result, the actual performance of current systems range from mediocre to atrocious. An outstanding feature of the text is a careful and comprehensive evaluation of one of the best of the systems, MEDLARS. Overall, about 58% of the pertinent items in MEDLARS files are retrieved on request. Only about 50% of the items that are retrieved turn out to be pertinent to the request. This is not very good performance particularly when it is remembered that an "information retrieval system does not inform the user on the subject of his inquiry. It merely informs him on the existence ... of documents
0471512400
Information storage and retrieval systems.
Z699 / .L35
029 / LAN