INLS 180 Day 15 Notes

February 26, 2002

 

  1. One-Minute Papers

Big Points

      Relevance (pertinence, quality, topicality, aboutness, etc.)

The reference librarian can work to help clients achieve psychological relevance…machines likely cannot

      Give users more control over IR to increase performance

Questions

            Can we get beyond binary relevance judgments for IR evaluation?

            How to define/determine the ‘expertise’ of relevance judges?

            Does consensus/popularity mean quality/correctness/accuracy?

            Can we measure the authority/quality of a source before it gets distributed/used?

            Are documents that have been seen and used before considered ‘relevant’  [to a query? To a need?]

            Can we assess the USE people make of info to determine relevance? [e.g., citations in papers]

            How can irrelevance be relevant?  Change in mental state is too broad for relevance.

 

  1. Notes on Information quality
    1. Relevance was an issue long before computers (consider the process of indexing)
    2. How do we assess value of consumer info?  Scientific info?
      1. example: JCDL review

 

  1. Information Use
    1. What constitutes use?  (mental? External manifestation--An action taken?)
    2. How is information appropriated? Integrated into knowledge?
      1. are the same mechanisms at work for personal use and cultural use (little k big K)?
    3. What are the indicators of use?

 

  1. Reading for Thur:

Reeves, B. & Nass, C. (1996). The media equation: How people treat computers, television, and the new media like real people and places.  NY: Cambridge University Press. (Preface ix-xiii, Chapter 1 p 3-15, and Chapter 23 p251-256.) (Jessica Kilfoil and Kristy Irvin)

 

4. One-minute paper

What was the big point you learned in class today?

What is the main, unanswered question you leave class with today?