Human Information Retrieval

Citation

Spink, A. (2010), "Human Information Retrieval", Online Information Review, Vol. 34 No. 4, pp. 662-663. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684521011073070

The monograph Human Information Retrieval is intellectually dense and draws extensively on works from many diverse scientific disciplines. The book is an original research monograph based on some previously journal articles. Warner seeks to expand the framework for understanding information retrieval with a labour theoretic approach. This approach is based on a linguistic understanding semantic and syntactic mental labour by humans. Warner relates his approach to not only information retrieval but also to information organisation. The main point in the book is that information retrieval involves human physical and mental labour in the production of meaning by using words. Warner's book provides a good description of the problems inherent in designing computer systems based on words with unclear meanings. This reminds me of the field of artificial intelligence which is not discussed in the book.

A major problem with this book, which purports to be about human information retrieval, is the lack of relationship between the ideas in the book, related to the labour theoretic approach, to theories and models of interactive information retrieval or even information behaviour. As an information behaviourist I was keen to see how to relate the theories and models of information behaviour that underpin information retrieval, with the interesting labour theoretic approach. But unfortunately the current monograph does not give me sufficient insight into how to make such a connection. Obviously the broader theories and models of information behaviour form the basis of the more specific theories and models of information retrieval (usually based on a psychology or human computer interaction approach). But this book does not tell me a lot about the human in the title beyond a discussion on linguistics bordering on issues of artificial intelligence. I was also seeking guidance from the book about research to be carried out to further develop the labour theoretic approach, but this was not clearly articulated for the reader.

So, overall the ideas in this book are interesting and densely provided, but I am not sure how to use them and how they advance our understanding of the information retrieval process or phenomenon that is based in human behaviour, or in this case human information behaviour. A major challenge for the author is to provide in his next book a deep discussion about how to relate the current book to the broader nature of information behaviour. The focus of the current book is very much on a traditional view of information retrieval based on the technology and provides limited insight into the human behaviour part claimed so strongly in the book title.