retriev: an information retrieval system implemented on top of a relational database

Database management systems (DBMS) and information retrieval (IR) systems can both be used as online information systems but they differ in the type of data and the types of retrieval they provide for users. Many previous attempts have been made to couple DBMS and IR systems together, either by integrating the two into a unified framework, or by using a DBMS as an implementation tool for information retrieval functionality. This paper reports on some of these previous attempts and describes a system, retriev, which uses a DBMS to implement an IR system for teaching and research purposes. The implementation of retriev is described in detail and the effects that the current trends in database research will have on the relationship between DBMS and IR systems, are discussed.