Cases, Scripts, and Information-Seeking Strategies: On the Design of Interactive Information Retrieval Systems

The support of effective interaction of the user with the other components of the system is a central problem for information retrieval. In this paper, we present a theory of such interactions taking place within a space of information-seeking strategies, and discuss how such a concept can be used to design for effective interaction. In particular, we propose a model of information retrieval system design based on the ideas of: a multi-dimensional space of information-seeking strategies; dialogue structures for information seeking; cases of specific information-seeking dialogues; and, scripts as distinguished prototypical cases. We demonstrate the use of this model by discussing in some detail the MERIT system, a prototype information retrieval system which incorporates these design principles