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Interaction in information retrieval

Interaction in information retrieval . There is MUCH more to searching than knowing computers, networks & commands, as there is more to writing than knowing word processing packages. IR as interaction. If USER & USE central: Interaction is a dominant feature of contemporary IR

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Interaction in information retrieval

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  1. Interaction in information retrieval There is MUCH more to searching than knowing computers, networks & commands, as there is more to writing than knowing word processing packages © Tefko Saracevic

  2. IR as interaction • If USER & USE central: Interaction is a dominant feature of contemporary IR • Interaction has many facets: • with systems, technology • with texts viewed/retrieved • intermediaries with people • Several interactive IR models • none as widely accepted as traditional IR model • Broader area: human-computer interaction (HCI) studies © Tefko Saracevic

  3. HCI: broader concepts “Any interaction takes place through one or more interfaces & involves two or more participants who each have one or more purposes for the interaction” Storrs, 1994 • Participants:people & artifacts - ‘computer’ (everything in it) • Interface: a common boundary • Issue: identification of important aspects, roles of each © Tefko Saracevic

  4. HCI … definitions “Interaction is the exchange of information between participants where each has the purpose of using the exchange to change the state of itself or of one or more of others” “An interaction is a dialogue for the purpose of modifying the state of one or more participants” • Key concepts: exchange, change © Tefko Saracevic

  5. IR interaction is ... “... the interactive communication processes that occur during the retrieval of information by involving all the major participants in IR, i.e. the user, the intermediary, and the IR system.” Ingwersen, 1992 • Involved: • users • intermediaries (possibly) • everything in IR system • communication processes - exchange of information © Tefko Saracevic

  6. Central questions • What variables are involved? • models give lists • How do they affect the process? How to control? • experiments, experience, observation give answers • Do given interventions or communications improve or degrade the process? • e.g. searcher’s (intermediaries or end-users) actions • Can systems be designed so that searcher’s intervention improves performance? © Tefko Saracevic

  7. Interactive IR models • Several models proposed • none as widely accepted as the traditional IR model • They all try to incorporate • information objects (“texts”): • IR system & setting • interface • intermediary, if present • user’s characteristics • cognitive aspects; task; problem; interest; goal; preferences ... • social environment • variety of processes between them all. © Tefko Saracevic

  8. User modeling(treated in module 10, but introduced here to illustrate one aspect of interaction) • Identifying elements about a user that impact interaction, searching, types of retrieval …: • who is the user (e.g. education) • what is the problem, task at hand • what is the need; question • how much s/he knows about it • what will be used for • how much wanted, how fast • what environment is involved • Much more than just a question • Related to reference interview © Tefko Saracevic

  9. Ingwersen’s cognitive model • Among the first to view IR differently from traditional model • Included IR as system but also things outside system that interact • inf. objects – documents, images … • intermediary – you - & interface • user cognitive aspects • user & general environment • path of request (we call question) • from environment (problem) to query • path of cognitive changes • path of communication • various other paths of interactions © Tefko Saracevic

  10. Information objects Interface/ User’s Environ Intermediary cognitive ment Request Query IR system Cognitive transformations setting Interactive communication Ingwersen’s cognitive model graphically - space © Tefko Saracevic

  11. Think: what do you do while searching? Belkin’s episodes model • Concentrates on what happen in interaction as process • Ingwerson concentrated on elements • Viewed interaction as a series of episodes where a number of different things happen over time • depending on user’s goals, tasks • there is judgment, use, interpretation… • processes of navigation, comparison, summarization … • involving different aspects of information & inf. objects • While interacting we do diverse things, perform various tasks, & involve different objects © Tefko Saracevic

  12. Belkin’s episodes model USER USER CO USER Goals tasks ..... CO REPRESENTATION COMPARISON INTERACTION Judgment, use, interpretation, modification SUMMARIZATION NA NA INFOR- MATION Type, medium mode level NAVIGATION VISUALIZATION Time © Tefko Saracevic

  13. Stratified model - start: A-C-A model of inf. use • Assumption: Users interact with IR systems to use information • A-C-A model components: • Acquisition: • users are getting information • Cognition: • users areabsorbing information • Application: • users are using absorbed information • Could be re-iterative, go back & forth • Each involves • different aspects, elements • interplays between them • Basis for interaction model © Tefko Saracevic

  14. Saracevic’s stratified model • Interaction: sequence of processes/episodes occurring in several levels or strata* = INTREPLAY between levels • Structure: • Several User levels • Produce a Query - has characteristics • Several ‘Computer’ levels • They all meet on the Surface level • Dialogue enabled by Interface • user utterances • computer ‘utterances’ • Adaptation/changes in all • Geared towardInformation use © Tefko Saracevic

  15. Elements in thestratified modelof IR interaction Situational tasks... Affective intent.. Cognitive knowledge structure ... INTERACTION LEVELS/STRATA USER Adaptation Query characteristics Surface level INTERFACE Use of information Engineering hardware, capacities... Adaptation Processing software, algorithms... ‘COMPUTER’ Content information resources - texts representation ... © Tefko Saracevic

  16. Roles oflevels orstrata • Defining of what’s involved • whassup? • Help in recognition/separation of differing variables • each strata or level involves different elements, roles, & processes • Observation of interaction between strata - complex dynamics © Tefko Saracevic

  17. Interplay between levels • Interplay on user side: • Cognitive: between cognitive structures of texts & users • Affective: between intentions & other • Situational: between texts & tasks • Similar interplay on computer side • Surface: • searching, navigation, browsing, display, visualization, query characterization • Interplay judgments in searching: • evaluation of results - relevance • Changing of models: situation, need ... • selection of search terms • resulting modifications - feedback © Tefko Saracevic

  18. Intermediaries - YOU • Intermediaries could participate as an additional interface - many roles: • diagnostic help in problem, query formulation • system interface handling • selection, interpretation & manipulation of inf. resources • interpretation of results • education of users • enablers of end-users • Basic role: optimizing results • Act in processes at different levels © Tefko Saracevic

  19. Implications • Interaction central to IR including in searching of the Web • We see it on the surface level • But result of MANY variables, levels & their interplay • IR interaction requires knowledge of these levels & interplays • many users have difficulties • so do many professionals • Design of interfaces for interaction still lacking • People compensate in many ways including trial & error, failures © Tefko Saracevic

  20. What happens in searching? • Highly reiterative process • back & forth between user modeling & (re)formulating search strategy • goes on & on in many feedback loops, twists & turns, shifts • Search strategy (the big picture) • selection/reselection of sources • stating a query (search statement) from a question • terms, their expansions, logic, qualifications, limitations © Tefko Saracevic

  21. Searching … (cont.) • Search tactics (action steps) • what to do first, next • e.g. from broad to narrow searches • format of results • Evaluation of results • as to magnitude - how much? • as to relevance - how well? • feedback to change after that • user model - e.g. question • strategy - e.g. files, query • tactics - e.g. narrowing, broadening © Tefko Saracevic

  22. Implications (Shuman) • Prepare carefully • Understand your opponent - • e.g. Dialog, LexisNexis • Anticipate • e.g. hidden meaning of terms • Have a contingency plan • assessing odds of success or points of diminishing returns • Avoid ambiguity • inherent in language • Stay loose! © Tefko Saracevic

  23. Stay loose? I copied that, but always wandered what it really means? Dictionary says: not firmly fastened or fixed in place ???? OK! or © Tefko Saracevic

  24. © Tefko Saracevic

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