© Tefko Saracevic1 Interaction in information retrieval There is MUCH more to searching than knowing computers, networks & commands, as there is more

© Tefko Saracevic 1

Interaction in information retrieval

There is MUCH more to There is MUCH more to searching than knowing searching than knowing computers, networks & computers, networks & commands, as there is commands, as there is more to writing than more to writing than

knowing word processing knowing word processing packagespackages


IR as interaction

If USER & USE central:If USER & USE central:Interaction is a dominant feature of Interaction is a dominant feature of

contemporary IRcontemporary IR Interaction has many facets:Interaction has many facets:

with systems, technology with systems, technology with texts viewed/retrievedwith texts viewed/retrieved intermediaries with people intermediaries with people

Several interactive IR modelsSeveral interactive IR models none as widely accepted as traditional none as widely accepted as traditional

IR modelIR model Broader area: human-computer Broader area: human-computer

interaction (HCI) studiesinteraction (HCI) studies


HCI: broader concepts

““Any Any interaction interaction takes place takes place through one or more through one or more interfaces interfaces & & involves two or more involves two or more participantsparticipants who each have one or more who each have one or more purposespurposes for the interaction” for the interaction”

Storrs, 1994Storrs, 1994

Participants:Participants: people & artifacts - people & artifacts - ‘computer’ (everything in it)‘computer’ (everything in it)

Interface: a common boundaryInterface: a common boundary Issue: identification of important Issue: identification of important

aspects, roles of eachaspects, roles of each


HCI … definitions

““Interaction is the exchange of Interaction is the exchange of information between participants information between participants where each has the purpose of using where each has the purpose of using the exchange to change the state of the exchange to change the state of itself or of one or more of others”itself or of one or more of others”

““An interaction is a dialogue for An interaction is a dialogue for the purpose of modifying the the purpose of modifying the state of one or more participants”state of one or more participants”

Key concepts:

exchange, change


IR interaction is ...

““... ... the interactive communication the interactive communication processes that occur during the processes that occur during the retrieval of information by involving retrieval of information by involving allall the major participants in IR, i.e. the major participants in IR, i.e. the user, the intermediary, and the IR the user, the intermediary, and the IR system.” system.” Ingwersen, 1992Ingwersen, 1992

Involved:Involved: usersusers intermediaries (possibly)intermediaries (possibly) everything in IR systemeverything in IR system communication processes - communication processes -

exchange of informationexchange of information


Central questions

What variables are involved?What variables are involved? models give listsmodels give lists

How do they affect the process? How to How do they affect the process? How to control?control? experiments, experience, observation give experiments, experience, observation give

answersanswers Do given interventions or Do given interventions or

communications improve or degrade the communications improve or degrade the process?process? e.g. searcher’s (intermediaries or end-users) e.g. searcher’s (intermediaries or end-users)

actionsactions Can systems be designed so that Can systems be designed so that

searcher’s intervention improves searcher’s intervention improves performance?performance?


Interactive IR models

Several models proposedSeveral models proposed none as widely accepted as the none as widely accepted as the

traditional IR modeltraditional IR model They all try to incorporateThey all try to incorporate

information objects information objects (“texts”):(“texts”): IR system & settingIR system & setting interfaceinterface intermediary, if presentintermediary, if present user’s characteristicsuser’s characteristics

cognitive aspects; task; problem; cognitive aspects; task; problem; interest; goal; preferences ...interest; goal; preferences ...

social environmentsocial environment variety of processes between variety of processes between

them allthem all..


User modeling(treated in module 10, but introduced here to

illustrate one aspect of interaction)

Identifying elements about a user that Identifying elements about a user that impact interaction, searching, types impact interaction, searching, types of retrieval …:of retrieval …: who is the user (e.g. education)who is the user (e.g. education) what is the problem, task at handwhat is the problem, task at hand what is the need; questionwhat is the need; question how much s/he knows about ithow much s/he knows about it what will be used forwhat will be used for how much wanted, how fasthow much wanted, how fast what environment is involvedwhat environment is involved

Much more than just a questionMuch more than just a question Related to reference interviewRelated to reference interview


Ingwersen’s cognitive model

Among the first to view IR Among the first to view IR differently from traditional modeldifferently from traditional model

Included IR as system but also Included IR as system but also things outside system that interactthings outside system that interact inf. objects – documents, images …inf. objects – documents, images … intermediary – you - & interfaceintermediary – you - & interface user cognitive aspectsuser cognitive aspects user & general environmentuser & general environment path of request (we call question) path of request (we call question)

from environment (problem) to queryfrom environment (problem) to query

path of cognitive changespath of cognitive changes path of communicationpath of communication various other paths of interactionsvarious other paths of interactions


Ingwersen’s cognitive model graphically

space

-

Information objects

Interface/Intermediary

Query

User’s cognitive

Request

Environ ment

IR system setting

Cognitive transformations

Interactive

communication


Belkin’s episodes model Concentrates on what happen in Concentrates on what happen in

interaction as processinteraction as process Ingwerson concentrated on elementsIngwerson concentrated on elements

Viewed interaction as a series of Viewed interaction as a series of episodes where a number of different episodes where a number of different things happen over timethings happen over time depending on user’s goals, tasksdepending on user’s goals, tasks

there is judgment, use, interpretation…there is judgment, use, interpretation… processes of navigation, comparison, processes of navigation, comparison,

summarization …summarization … involving different aspects of information & involving different aspects of information &

inf. objectsinf. objects

While interacting we do diverse things, While interacting we do diverse things, perform various tasks, & involve perform various tasks, & involve different objectsdifferent objects

Think: what do you do while searching?Think: what do you do while searching?


Belkin’s episodes model

NA

USER

CO

NA

USER

CO

VISUALIZATION

INTERACTIONJudgment, use,interpretation,modification

NAVIGATION

REPRESENTATION

INFOR-MATIONType,mediummodelevel

USERGoalstasks .....

SUMMARIZATION

COMPARISON

Time


Stratified model - start: Stratified model - start: A-C-A model of inf. useA-C-A model of inf. useStratified model - start: Stratified model - start: A-C-A model of inf. useA-C-A model of inf. use

Assumption: Assumption: Users interact with IR systems to Users interact with IR systems to use informationuse information

A-C-A model components:A-C-A model components: Acquisition: Acquisition:

users are getting informationusers are getting information

Cognition:Cognition: users areusers are absorbing informationabsorbing information

Application: Application: users are using absorbed informationusers are using absorbed information

Could be re-iterative, go back & forthCould be re-iterative, go back & forth Each involvesEach involves

different aspects, elementsdifferent aspects, elements interplays between theminterplays between them

Basis for interaction modelBasis for interaction model


Saracevic’s stratified model Saracevic’s stratified model InteractionInteraction: sequence of processes/episodes : sequence of processes/episodes

occurring in several levels or strata* occurring in several levels or strata*

= = INTREPLAY between levelsINTREPLAY between levels Structure:Structure:

Several Several User User levelslevels Produce a Produce a QueryQuery - has characteristics - has characteristics SeveralSeveral ‘Computer’ ‘Computer’ levels levels They all meet on theThey all meet on the Surface Surface level level Dialogue enabled byDialogue enabled by Interface Interface

user utterancesuser utterances computer ‘utterances’computer ‘utterances’

AdaptationAdaptation/changes in all/changes in all Geared towardGeared toward Information Information useuse


Elements in the stratified model of IR interaction

Situational tasks...

Affective intent..

Querycharacteristics

Ad

apta

tio

n

INTERFACEINTERFACE

Engineeringhardware, capacities...

Processingsoftware, algorithms...

A

dap

tati

on

INTE

RA

CTI

ON

LE

VE

LS/S

TRA

TA

Cognitive knowledge structure ...

Contentinformation resources - texts representation ...

Surface level

‘CO

MP

UT

ER

’U

SE

R

Use

of

info

rmat

ion


Roles of levels or strataRoles of levels or strata

Defining of what’s involvedDefining of what’s involved whassupwhassup??

Help in recognition/separation of Help in recognition/separation of differing differing variables variables each strata or level involves each strata or level involves

different elements, roles, & different elements, roles, & processesprocesses

Observation of interaction Observation of interaction between strata - complex between strata - complex dynamicsdynamics


Interplay between levelsInterplay between levels Interplay on Interplay on user user side:side:

Cognitive: Cognitive: between cognitive structures of texts & usersbetween cognitive structures of texts & users Affective: Affective: between intentions & otherbetween intentions & other Situational: Situational: between texts & tasksbetween texts & tasks

Similar interplay on Similar interplay on computercomputer side side Surface:Surface:

searching, navigation, browsing, display, visualization, searching, navigation, browsing, display, visualization, query characterizationquery characterization

Interplay judgments in searching:Interplay judgments in searching: evaluation of results -evaluation of results - relevance relevance Changing of models: situation, need ...Changing of models: situation, need ... selection ofselection of search terms search terms resulting modifications - resulting modifications - feedbackfeedback


Intermediaries - YOU

Intermediaries could participate as Intermediaries could participate as an additional interface - many roles:an additional interface - many roles: diagnostic help in problem, query diagnostic help in problem, query

formulationformulation system interface handlingsystem interface handling selection, interpretation & selection, interpretation &

manipulation of inf. resourcesmanipulation of inf. resources interpretation of resultsinterpretation of results education of userseducation of users enablers of end-usersenablers of end-users

Basic role: optimizing resultsBasic role: optimizing results Act in processes at different levelsAct in processes at different levels


Implications

Interaction central to IR including in Interaction central to IR including in searching of the Websearching of the Web

We see it on the surface levelWe see it on the surface level But result of MANY variables, levels & their But result of MANY variables, levels & their

interplayinterplay IR interaction requires knowledge of these IR interaction requires knowledge of these

levels & interplayslevels & interplays many users have difficultiesmany users have difficulties so do many professionalsso do many professionals

Design of interfaces for interaction still Design of interfaces for interaction still lackinglacking

People compensate in many ways including People compensate in many ways including trial & error, failurestrial & error, failures


What happens in searching?

HighlyHighly reiterative reiterative process process back & forth between user back & forth between user

modeling & (re)formulating search modeling & (re)formulating search strategystrategy

goes on & on in many feedback goes on & on in many feedback loops, twists & turns, shiftsloops, twists & turns, shifts

Search strategy (the big picture)Search strategy (the big picture) selection/reselection of sourcesselection/reselection of sources stating a query (search statement) stating a query (search statement)

from a questionfrom a question terms, their expansions, logic, terms, their expansions, logic,

qualifications, limitationsqualifications, limitations


Searching … (cont.)

Search tactics (action steps) Search tactics (action steps) what to do first, nextwhat to do first, next e.g. from broad to narrow searchese.g. from broad to narrow searches format of resultsformat of results

Evaluation of resultsEvaluation of results as to magnitude - how much? as to magnitude - how much? as to relevance - how well? as to relevance - how well? feedback to change after thatfeedback to change after that

user model - e.g. question user model - e.g. question strategy - e.g. files, querystrategy - e.g. files, query tactics - e.g. narrowing, broadeningtactics - e.g. narrowing, broadening


Implications (Shuman)

Prepare carefullyPrepare carefully Understand your opponent - Understand your opponent -

e.g. Dialog, LexisNexise.g. Dialog, LexisNexis AnticipateAnticipate

e.g. hidden meaning of termse.g. hidden meaning of terms Have a contingency planHave a contingency plan

assessing odds of success or points assessing odds of success or points of diminishing returnsof diminishing returns

Avoid ambiguityAvoid ambiguity inherent in languageinherent in language

Stay loose!Stay loose!


Stay loose?

I copied that, but always I copied that, but always wandered what it really means?wandered what it really means?

Dictionary says:Dictionary says:not firmly fastened or fixed in not firmly fastened or fixed in

placeplace???? OK!???? OK!

or or


Documents

© Tefko Saracevic1 Interaction in information retrieval There is MUCH more to searching than knowing computers, networks & commands, as there is more