Boolean Search: Current State and Perspectives

Most of the operational information retrieval (IR) systems in existence today use Boolean logic during search. Such systems are usually called Boolean IR systems. These systems, as any other IR systems, are not perfect and the problem of their development (and hence providing better quality service for real users) is one of the most important problems in Information Science. From this viewpoint, the article analyzes existing criticisms of operational systems and points out some of their positive features. At the same time, certain negative effects which hinder the development of existing systems are considered. Finally, the article provides several conclusions about using Boolean logic in developing multiversion IR systems.

[1]  Rene J. Tritschler.  A COMPUTER‐INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR CENTRALIZED INFORMATION DISSEMINATION, STORAGE, AND RETRIEVAL , 1962 .

[2]  F. W. Lancaster,et al.  Information retrieval systems; characteristics, testing, and evaluation , 1968 .

[3]  Pauline V. Angione,et al.  On the equivalence of boolean and weighted searching based on the convertibility of query forms , 1975, J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci..

[4]  Edward A. Fox,et al.  Automatic query formulations in information retrieval , 1983, J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci..

[5]  Michael McGill,et al.  Introduction to Modern Information Retrieval , 1983 .

[6]  Edward A. Fox,et al.  A comparison of two methods for boolean query relevancy feedback , 1984, Inf. Process. Manag..

[7]  Edward A. Fox,et al.  Advanced feedback methods in information retrieval , 1985, J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci..

[8]  Nicholas J. Belkin,et al.  Retrieval techniques , 1987 .

[9]  David Ellis.  New Horizons in Information Retrieval , 1988 .

[10]  Gerard Salton,et al.  A Simple Blueprint for Automatic Boolean Query Processing , 1988, Inf. Process. Manag..

[11]  Charles T. Meadow,et al.  Text information retrieval systems , 1992 .

[12]  Pertti Vakkari,et al.  The Evolution of Library and Information Science 1965-1985: A Content Analysis of Journal Articles , 1993, Inf. Process. Manag..

[13]  Jacob Shapiro,et al.  Multiversion information retrieval systems and feedback with mechanism of selection , 1993 .

[14]  Richard S. Marcus.  The RIAO 94 conference and the status of information retrieval: a personal view , 1994, SIGF.

[15]  Jacques Savoy,et al.  Ranking Schemes in Hybrid Boolean Systems: A New Approach , 1997, J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci..

[16]  Robert M. Losee.  Comparing Boolean and probabilistic information retrieval systems across queries and disciplines , 1997 .

[17]  Jacob Shapiro,et al.  Automated information retrieval - theory and methods , 1997, Library and information science series.

[18]  W. Bruce Croft,et al.  Computationally tractable probabilistic modeling of Boolean operators , 1997, SIGIR '97.

[19]  Peter Willett,et al.  Readings in information retrieval , 1997 .

[20]  James C. French,et al.  A classification approach to Boolean query reformulation , 1997 .

[21]  Mark Sanderson,et al.  Information Seeking in Electronic Environment , 1997, Inf. Process. Manag..

[22]  D. R. Swanson.  Historical note: information retrieval and the future of an illusion , 1997 .