Describes the application of semiotic concepts and tools to information-retrieval systems design, which is viewed as a social practice in which the main disjunction is between the two conflicting acts of detonation and prescription. These two conflicting language games are discussed within the framework of the Okapi information retrieval system.…

Discusses the use of text retrieval methods based on probabilistic models with Chinese language material, which are modeled on the Okapi information retrieval system. Topics include system architecture, test collections, weighting functions, and algorithms. (Author/LRW)

Summarizes the development of information retrieval evaluation ideas, describes the design of the TREC (Text Retrieval Conference) experiments, and discusses the Okapi team's participation in TREC. Highlights include the Cranfield projects that tested the principles of information retrieval system design, test collections, weighting functions,…

Discusses how to improve research and design more effective information retrieval systems. Topics include human-system interaction; knowledge integration; pluralistic research approaches; enhanced access to research data; more multidisciplinary integrative devices and conceptual mappings; establishing a greater mass of published research findings…

Presents adaptations and tests undertaken to allow an information retrieval system to forecast the likelihood of avalanches on a particular day; the forecasting process uses historical data of the weather and avalanche conditions for a large number of days. Describes a method for adapting these data into a form usable by a text-based IR system and…

Describes research aimed at investigating dynamically evolving database environments and corresponding schemata that allow storage and manipulation of variable length data, a variable number of fields per record, variable length records and fields, and dynamically defined objects. Proposes a new framework for dynamic database environments.…

Describes the Okapi projects and the work of the Centre for Interactive Systems Research at the City University of London (England). Okapi, an experimental text retrieval system, has been used as the basis for a series of projects addressing aspects of user information-seeking behavior and user-system interaction, as well as system design.…