Online Retrieval: A Dialogue of Theory and Practice (2nd ed.)

Citation

Fourie, I. (2000), "Online Retrieval: A Dialogue of Theory and Practice (2nd ed.)", The Electronic Library, Vol. 18 No. 6, pp. 448-469. https://doi.org/10.1108/el.2000.18.6.448.16

Geraldene Walker and Joseph Janes can be congratulated on an excellent textbook on the theory and practice of online retrieval. It is suitable for undergraduate students’ first introduction into the field of online retrieval, as well as for advanced students and professional searchers who wish to refine their search skills and keep up with developments.

The conversational style of Online Retrieval…, the clear and explicit descriptions and the very detailed practical examples make it highly suitable for both classroom instruction and self‐study and distance teaching programmes. The authors’ occasional comments on each other’s discussions, or even their own suggestions, add to the interactive nature of the text, as well as the impression that Online Retrieval … is firmly based on practical experience. This impression is supported, for example, by advice given on the use of major and minor descriptors (p. 126), and how to recover from mistakes (p. 166).

Detailed discussions are included on online searches and the search heuristics applied. These are supported with printouts of the searches, as well as the search results. It was reassuring to find that DIALOG is still the major exemplar in teaching online retrieval. “We continue to use the DIALOG system and command language as our exemplar, not because it holds the highest share of the professional searching market as it did several years ago, but because it is still the most advanced and sophisticated language. We continue to believe that, if people learn to use a fully featured search system such as DIALOG and, more to the point, understand how it works … they will be well prepared for a fast changing world of new continually changing companies, systems, databases, and so on” (p. xi). This is a point of view I fully support.

The authors’ efforts to prepare students for rapid changes in online retrieval can also be seen in the emphasis they place on knowledge of database structures and the way they can affect search possibilities and search results. This is dealt with in detail in chapter 5. The evaluation of search results, the adaptation of search strategies and the correction of mistakes are dealt with throughout chapters 6 to 12. It is my opinion that a student who understands the importance of search heuristics and the role of evaluation should be well prepared for future developments. To this can be added an understanding of how the Internet can supplement traditional searching. For the latter, the authors emphasise the similarities to traditional methods as point of departure. The Internet is now thoroughly incorporated in all chapters, and not dealt with in a separate chapter as with the first edition published in 1993.

Online Retrieval… consists of 14 chapters. Chapter 1 gives a broad overview of the search for information in computerised settings, while chapter 2 traces the conceptual and technical history of online systems. It also summarises the advantages of their use. Chapter 3 describes telecommunication connections. Chapter 4 outlines the different types of information systems and information that are available for computer searching, while chapter 5 provides an excellent overview of database construction and the effects the structure may have on the search possibilities and results. Chapters 6 to 11 deal with actual aspects of searching. This includes various search techniques, the use of controlled vocabulary, the searching of free text, a variety of search features, and more advanced search options such as multifile searching and database selection. In chapter 11 the searching of full‐text and citation databases, as well as directories, is covered. The evaluation of search results is addressed in chapter 12, while the last two chapters deal respectively with the running of a library search service, and the running of an independent search service. The reference interview, user training, ethical aspects, marketing and legal issues featured amongst other issues in these chapters.

Although lists of sources cited and additional reading are included, references to other textbooks are sadly lacking. References to the work of Large et al. (1999) as well as S.P. Harter’s Online Information Retrieval (1986) and Phil Bradley’s The Advanced Internet Searcher’s Handbook (1997) especially could prove useful, since they address additional issues essential to online retrieval.

Online Retrieval… includes a useful glossary and a six‐page index. Although very few typographical errors were spotted in the text, I spotted a number of errors and shortcomings in the index. This includes incorrect page numbers (e.g. the entries under Carrol Barry and Michael Eisenberg), and concepts not included in the index (e.g. the IR life cycle). I did not scrutinise the index for further errors, but consider it a pity that such an excellent publication is not supported by a competent index to “retrieve” the information. Cleverdon is incorrectly spelled in the index (p. 308) as well as in the text (pp. 282, 286).

This second edition of Online Retrieval… is highly recommended for any course in information retrieval which aims to produce students capable of mastering the theoretical foundation of information retrieval and the intricacies of practical searching, and keeping up with ever changing occupational environments. If the package is supplemented with reading from other textbooks in the field of online retrieval, and sufficient time for practice, I believe the library profession can look forward to very capable online searchers.