Zhang Qiyu Collected Works on Information Linguistics

Author: Zhang Qiyu
Editor-in-Chief: Wang Yanlai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-05-01
Features:
Fragment:
The importance of research, creation, and popularization of information retrieval languages
The total volume of scientific and technical literature in the world has now reached hundreds of millions, and it is still growing at a rate of 3 to 4 million papers per year, with the growth rate accelerating. To find literature of reference value for scientific research, production, teaching, or management from this vast sea of documents in a complete, accurate, and efficient manner is not an easy task. Solving the "finding" problem, i.e., the problem of information retrieval, is the key issue in information work. For this reason, thousands of retrieval publications have been published, and many advanced electronic computer-equipped information retrieval systems with a large number of remote terminals are operating at high speed. The Chemical Abstracts of the United States has a cumulative literature volume close to 10 million, and the DIALOG system's literature database provides approximately 40 million searchable records. However, it is generally believed that the recall rate of foreign information retrieval systems is only about 69-70%, and the precision rate is around 40-50%. As for domestic retrieval publications, their efficiency cannot be compared. It is therefore clear that there is still a considerable distance to go to fully solve the problem of information retrieval.
Information retrieval languages are artificial languages created to achieve better retrieval results. As the specialized language for information retrieval, their main functions are:
(1) Indexing the information content (and certain external characteristics) of documents;
(2) Concentrating or revealing the relevance of information that is the same or related;
(3) Systemizing or organizing a large amount of information;
(4) Facilitating the comparison of indexed terms and retrieval terms for relevance (1).
In fact, information retrieval languages play both positive and negative roles in information retrieval. It can be said that information retrieval languages are closely related to information retrieval efficiency, and at least half of the missed and incorrect retrievals are directly or indirectly caused by their performance and quality. Therefore, in solving the problem of information retrieval, information retrieval languages are an indispensable link.
To ensure that information retrieval languages truly serve as a "language guarantee" in various information retrieval systems (card catalogs, retrieval publications, computer retrieval systems), we must open up new paths in the theoretical research of information retrieval languages and strive for significant progress. Based on the theoretical research achievements, we should, on one hand, create more new and improved languages with better structures, performance, and quality, and on the other hand, reform existing languages (such as the Chinese Library Classification) to keep them modernized and enhance their retrieval efficiency. At the same time, we must vigorously strengthen the popularization of information retrieval language knowledge, ensuring that indexing personnel and retrieval personnel can use these languages correctly, so that every high-quality information retrieval language can fully fulfill its intended role, minimizing the loss of existing literature and information during storage and retrieval, as well as reducing the human effort spent on indexing and retrieval to the greatest extent possible.
In summary, the research, creation, and popularization of information retrieval languages should be regarded as one of the "key construction projects" in information work, library work, and archival work, and must be strengthened and improved in a practical manner.