Jason Farradane

Relational Indexing. Part I

The authors system of relational indexing has been the subject of several papers in the journal literature (sec bibliography at end), but no comprehensive exposition of the system has previously been made. The following description of the principles of the method, with full examples, and an outline of its computerization, now provides such a definitive statement. Many of the details discussed relate to practical problems raised by students and colleagues.

Estimation and reliability of retrieval effectiveness measures

Abstract A probabilistic model of the retrieval process is presented. From it, the standard errors of system recall and precision estimators, based on a sample of queries, are derived. The resulting negative binomial model is fitted to empirical data from several retrieval tests.

On-line v. manual — the cost-effectiveness debate

I feel I must take issue with the conclusions reached by Flynn, Holohan, Magson and Munro (all in I.C.I. information departments) in their paper on the &dquo;Cost effectiveness comparison of online and manual bibliographic information retrieval&dquo; (J. In!o17natioll Sci. 1 (1979) 77). Their time and cost figures for online searching are no doubt reliable (though they admit that a Research Scientist may not use online systems as efficiently as an Information

The problems of input and their implications in mechanization

Abstract Systems with unorganized keywords have been found increasingly unsatisfactory, and classificatory devices (broader or narrower terms, etc.) have been introduced into thesauruses, or structural devices (links, roles) have been used; man-machine interaction is really a means of getting re-classification done by the user. Fully structured systems (Gardin, Farradane) are being investigated. Results by means of relational indexing are showing high values for both recall and precision (or zero or low discard ratios), showing the value of structured (pre-coordinate) indexing in combination with browsing techniques by means of concept organization (new generalized classificatory principles). The computer techniques required to apply these methods are discussed; they may include associative memories, simultaneous access to structure-linked terms, and browsing facilities.

Comments on 'The cooked and the raw' by R. Hammarberg:

that this calls for a reply, though I cannot do so in philosophical terms such as his. I have always tried to be an experimental scientist, and I am not a philosopher ; I have read much philosophy but, like Omar Khayyam, &dquo;evermore came out by the same door wherein I went&dquo;. Hammarberg tries to discount my definition of ’information’ by equating it with ’raw, brute facts’ (which I did not do) and does not himself define such a term. He also accuses me of ’founda-