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Spring 2005 Question 4

a. Why the notion of system-centered relevance is inadequate? b. How relevance is usually judged from a user’s perspective? c. Could a user’s relevance judgment change over time for the same retrieved documents and why? d. What factors affect relevance judgment? e. Does a user’s relevance judgment of documents retrieved from the Web vary from those retrieved in information retrieval systems such as online databases and why?//**
 * //The system-centered notion of relevance implies that a document retrieved from an information retrieval system is relevant if there is a match between the user’s request and the aboutness of the document. The user-centered notion of relevance focuses on the user’s need and the degree the document retrieved fulfill this need. In your answer, discuss the following:

Relevance: Computer generated: dependent on the way the system is set up And search terms used: dependent on authority control…. Thesaurus … vocabulary of the system. All systems are different. Purely mechanical organization. Users’ relevance is different. Users often do not possess the advanced skills necessary to consult a thesaurus/controlled vocabulary used. Some is just trial and error. Some users don’t have clearly defined topics. Trial and error allows honing of search and maybe honing of subject. Because information is arranged broadly to narrow, this allows the user to limit. Criticism: the “googlization” of our patrons. Students have said everything they need is “on the web”… information professionals much teach users how to judge the validity of information since anyone can put stuff up on the web. Relevance at Google is based on $ and other ways to pad relevance.