Experimental evaluation of information retrieval through a teletypewriter

Abstract

Experiments designed to evaluate the capabilities of mechanized information retrieval systems, with emphasis on interactive (man-machine) language and on some of the mechanical and psychological limitations in their design, were conducted at the Moore School Information Systems Laboratory. The basic assumption of the research is that an information retrieval system that provides for man-machine dialogue at a remote inquiry terminal should provide a searcher with many of the tools which would be available to him were he actually performing his search at a library or repository of documents. Factors involved in evaluation of such a system include ease of use, learning time, and effectiveness of actual retrieval. Three experiments and the conclusions resulting from them are detailed.