Human-computer interaction in information retrieval: nature and manifestations of feedback

This study develops a theoretical framework for expressing the nature of feedback as a critical process in interactive information retrieval (IR). Feedback concepts from cybernetics and social sciences perspectives are used to develop a concept of informational feedback applicable to IR. Models from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Interacting with computers 1998-06, Vol.10 (3), p.249-267
Main Authors: Spink, Amanda, Saracevic, Tefko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cybernetics
Feedback
Human computer interaction
Interactive computer systems
Interactive information retrieval
Interactive systems
Online information retrieval
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Summary:This study develops a theoretical framework for expressing the nature of feedback as a critical process in interactive information retrieval (IR). Feedback concepts from cybernetics and social sciences perspectives are used to develop a concept of informational feedback applicable to IR. Models from human-computer interaction and interactive IR are then adapted as a framework for studying the manifestations of feedback in IR. An informational feedback loop is defined as a unit of measure for IR feedback. Results are then presented from an empirical study of real-life interactions between users, professional mediators (information specialists) and an IR system ‘computer’. Data are presented involving 885 feedback loops classified in five categories. In conclusion we present a connection between the theoretical framework and empirical observations and provide a number of pragmatic and research suggestions.
ISSN:0953-5438
1873-7951
DOI:10.1016/S0953-5438(98)00009-5