IS INFORMATION RETRIEVAL NOW AN ESTABLISHED SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE
Abstract
The negative case is presented in a debate on the question: 'resolved: Information retrieval is now an established scientific discipline with well-defined goals, methods, and evaluation techniques.' The theme of the negative argument is that information retrieval is not a science. Rather, it is an applied field, which deals with pressing, practical problems. Its workers are primarily concerned with achieving satisfactory working solutions, and only secondarily concerned with two factors that characterize research in true scientific disciplines--the basic understanding of some aspect of nature and the development of theory. Some philosophical definitions of science are quoted, and a comparison is made between IR and what is clearly an applied field, the desalinization of sea water. The paper concludes that although IR is not yet a scientific discipline, workers in the field have at least achieved the level at which they can recognize the basic scientific problems underlying IR.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 09, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0608577
Entities
People
- Ronald E. Wyllys
Organizations
- System Development Corporation