DTIC ADA072312: Effects of Retrieval Term Specificity pdf

DTIC ADA072312: Effects of Retrieval Term Specificity

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This experiment assessed the impact of using two levels of retrieval terms on formulating and inputting query statements. One level used specific terms to retrieve one element of information; the other level used global terms to retrieve blocks of information that would otherwise require five to six specific terms. Participants were then given a set of 48 problems. For each problem, the participants had to write and type a query statement that would satisfy the information requirements. The opportunity to use global terms had not effect either on the time needed to write query statements or on the accuracy of typed query statements. Where the use of global terms was applicable, substantial savings in the time required to input query statements was shown. Except that the global-specific group reported that it made more use of the data name chart before using the data dictionary, the two groups indicated that they went about writing query statements in approximately the same way.

Both groups gave high ratings to the value of using global terms. Use of global terms is not recommended unless the specific items of information subsumed under the global term are normally retrieved together frequently

• Creator/s: Defense Technical Information Center
• Date: 7/1/1979
• Year: 1979
• Book Topics/Themes: DTIC Archive, Potash, Lawrence M, ARMY RESEARCH INST FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ALEXANDRIA VA, *HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING, *INFORMATION RETRIEVAL, *WORDS(LANGUAGE), INDEX TERMS, INPUT, LANGUAGE, TYPEWRITERS, WRITING

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