Efthimiadis, E.N. and Robertson, S.E. "Feedback and interaction in information retrieval." In: Perspectives in Information Management. Oppenheim, C., editor. London: Butterworths, 257-272, 1989. [Book chapters]

Since the late, unlamented days of batch search systems, we have come to assume a degree of interaction in any search process (which indeed was always present when searching card catalogues and printed indexes). Online retrieval of whatever sort allows the searcher to make a stab at a search, and then try again if the results are not satisfactory. Whether an experimental or theoretical information retrieval researcher, or a manager or user of a modern online system, it is part of our paradigm that interaction is desirable--that nobody wants to go back to the situation where only one attempt could be made in a reasonable timescale. This paradigm is made explicit and extensively analysed in Belkin and Vickery (1985).

Nevertheless, much of the theoretical work on information retrieval contrives to ignore the interaction process (see, for example, Belkin and Croft, 1987). The aim of this chapter is to look at, and attempt to categorize, some of the kinds of interaction and feedback that can occur, at the micro level (e.g. which information elements are transmitted/received/expected at various stages in the information retrieval process).

This review is not intended to be exhaustive, either of the literature or of the systems. Certain items have been selected from the literature and from systems known to the authors, with a view to illustrating specific ideas.