Understanding Information Retrieval Systems : Management, Types, and Standards

In order to be effective for their users, information retrieval (IR) systems should be adapted to the specific needs of particular environments. The huge and growing array of types of information retrieval systems in use today is on display in **Understanding Information Retrieval Systems: Management, Types, and Standards**, which addresses over 20 types of IR systems. These various system types, in turn, present both technical and management challenges, which are also addressed in this volume. In order to be interoperable in a networked environment, IR systems must be able to use various types of technical standards, a number of which are described in this book—often by their original developers. The book covers the full context of operational IR systems, addressing not only the systems themselves but also human user search behaviors, user-centered design, and management and policy issues. In addition to theory and practice of IR system design, the book covers Web standards and protocols, the Semantic Web, XML information retrieval, Web social mining, search engine optimization, specialized museum and library online access, records compliance and risk management, information storage technology, geographic information systems, and data transmission protocols. Emphasis is given to information systems that operate on relatively unstructured data, such as text, images, and music. The book is organized into four parts: * Part I supplies a broad-level introduction to information systems and information retrieval systems * Part II examines key management issues and elaborates on the decision process around likely information system solutions * Part III illustrates the range of information retrieval systems in use today discussing the technical, operational, and administrative issues for each type * Part IV discusses the most important organizational and technical standards needed for successful information retrieval This volume brings together authoritative articles on the different types of information systems and how to manage real-world demands such as digital asset management, network management, digital content licensing, data quality, and information system failures. It explains how to design systems to address human characteristics and considers key policy and ethical issues such as piracy and preservation. Focusing on web–based systems, the chapters in this book provide an excellent starting point for developing and managing your own IR systems. "Information retrieval (IR) is the area of study concerned with searching for documents, information within documents, and metadata about documents, as well as searching relational databases and the World Wide Web. This book covers the management, types, and technical standards of these increasingly important systems. It discusses all types of information retrieval systems, including those used in medicine, geographic information, and music, as well as retrieval in computer-supported collaborative work, Web mining, social mining, and the Semantic Web. Library and museum IR systems are also covered. Leading contributors in the field address digital asset management, piracy in digital media, records compliance, information storage technologies, and data transmission protocols"-- "Understanding Information Retrieval Systems: Management, Types, and Standards Marcia J. Bates, Editor INTRODUCTION Information retrieval systems, especially those accessed over the Internet, are ubiquitous in our globalizing world. Many are wonderfully easy to use, and it is therefore easy to assume that the design and implementation of information systems is a simple and straightforward process. However, systems need to be designed specifically for their intended functions in order to provide optimal support for the people who use them. It turns out that it is not always obvious what needs to be done to produce a really well-functioning information system. In addition, information systems are almost always part of a much larger infrastructure that is designed to support business, government, and other activities. All parts of that infrastructure need to mesh into a single well-functioning social and technical system, containing and optimizing the information systems within. Consequently, information systems are seldom stand-alone. They need to be made interoperable with other systems of many types, and at many levels of functionality. In this volume are gathered together articles on different types of information systems, on managing information systems, both as collections of data and as part of a larger social and administrative system, and on the technical standards that are required in order for the systems to inter-operate with other systems and networks. World Wide Web-based systems are emphasized. Collectively, the articles in this book provide an excellent introduction to the various aspects of developing and managing information retrieval systems in the context of real-world demands"-- "Understanding Information Retrieval Systems: Management, Types, and Standards Marcia J. Bates, Editor INTRODUCTION Information retrieval systems, especially those accessed over the Internet, are ubiquitous in our globalizing world. Many are wonderfully easy to use, and it is therefore easy to assume that the design and implementation of information systems is a simple and straightforward process. However, systems need to be designed specifically for their intended functions in order to provide optimal support for the people who use them. It turns out that it is not always obvious what needs to be done to produce a really well-functioning information system. In addition, information systems are almost always part of a much larger infrastructure that is designed to support business, government, and other activities. All parts of that infrastructure need to mesh into a single well-functioning social and technical system, containing and optimizing the information systems within. Consequently, information systems are seldom stand-alone. They need to be made interoperable with other systems of many types, and at many levels of functionality. In this volume are gathered together articles on different types of information systems, on managing information systems, both as collections of data and as part of a larger social and administrative system, and on the technical standards that are required in order for the systems to inter-operate with other systems and networks. World Wide Web-based systems are emphasized. Collectively, the articles in this book provide an excellent introduction to the various aspects of developing and managing information retrieval systems in the context of real-world demands"-- Provided by publisher