EVALUATION OF DOCUMENT SEARCHING SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES

Interest in the objective testing and evaluation of document searching systems and procedures has grown steadily during the past decade. The reason for such interest is perhaps obvious: a great deal of attention has been, and is being, given to the development of new methods, including mechanized methods, for storing and searching characterizations of scientific and technical documents. To determine the effectiveness and utility of these new methods, particularly in comparison with the more conventional methods still in use, we need objective means of assessing their performance. Although some progress has been made, much remains to be done on the development of evaluation methods and criteria, a high priority area of study in the view of many individuals and organizations.