Using Relevance Feedback and Ranking in Interactive Searching

We present results of a study in which 50 searchers, of varying degrees of experience in information retrieval (IR), each performed searches on two TREC-4 adhoc interactive track topics, using a simple interface to the INQUIRY retrieval engine. The foci of our study were : the relationships between the users'models and experience of IR, and their performance in the TREC-4 adhoc task while using a best-match IR system with relevance feedback ; the understanding, use and utility of relevance feedback and ranking in interactive IR ; and, the evaluation of interactive IR.