BCS-IR-SG: Networked Information Retrieval, London 17/11/93

[Mark D Dunlop <[e-mail]>]

                         BCS IR Specialist Group

                     Networked Information Retrieval
                 Room 214 Department of Computer Science
                        University College London 
                        17th November 1993 at 2pm

** The Speakers **

John Lindsay, kingston University, introduction
Tony Addyman, Salford University, on campus wide networks
Trevor Woods, Manchester Metropolitan University
Ruth Moulton, BCS, on internet protocols
Neil Smith, British Library, on global information services
Jill Stewart, British Standards Inst, on the role of standards for NIR

** The Background **

Developments in networking have merely served to make intractable problems
of information retrieval even more intractable by changing the relations of
time and space in which information is produced and consumed.  This has not
been helped by people who think that achieving ls, cd and get is
progressing IR.
However it is clear that by building interoperable networks a new
complexity has been added to the older problems which might mean that we
can look at them in a new light.  Partly this is the consequence of the
success of TCP/IP in achieving a level of penetration not achieved by OSI
so far, partly decisions by research and academic networks providers to
allow secondary and commercial connectivity.  And now the involvement of
cable television companies in providing high bandwidth with the possibility
that it will become pervasive.

This meeting will try to establish how these developments will provide new
opportunities for real network information retrieval.  It is aimed at
people who have an experience of networks but less so of information
retrieval or people with IR experience and who are concerned at how much
progress has been made in actually using their networks to answer
questions.

Full details from John Lindsay or Frances Slack (contact details below).



** IR Group Membership **

Membership of the Group is open to anyone interested in the information
seeking behaviour of people, though professional membership of the BCS is
restricted by the conditions governing election to Membership.
We are keen to have reciprocal membership with groups throughout Europe and
have a relationship with ACM SIGIR, including organisation of the annual
conference.
Corporate membership is available to organisations interested in
information retrieval.

** So What is Information Retrieval? **

1       Excellent!
2       A method of providing relatively untrained end users of information 
        systems with easy access to massive amounts of unstructured 
        information, typically written texts but increasingly multi-media 
        information. Many exciting potential applications are now becoming 
        possible due to the increase in power and storage capacity of 
        relatively inexpensive office computers. For example, an 
        information retrieval (IR) system accessing a database of newspaper 
        archives could retrieve, from millions of articles, just those few 
        that are most relevant to a searcher's information need, as 
        expressed by them in a natural language query.
3       A damn good excuse for a yearly booze up (see colloquium message)


** SIGIR '94 **

The annual conference of the SIGIR will take place in Dublin from 3rd to
7th July. Members of the BCSIRSG are treated as members of the ACM/SIGIR
for purposes of fees and communications.


** CEPIS - EIRSG **

The BCSIRSG is a member of the IR Group (EIRSG) of the Council of European
Professional Informatics Societies. Members are active in a wide range of
collaborative projects.


** The Newsletter **

The newsletter of the Group is produced four times a year and is sent free
to members. It contains information of interest to the IR community and
surveys the range of activities, literature, software in the field.


** How do I join this super group? **

        Bribe a committee member.
OR      Fill in the form below & send it to the BCS.
OR      Fill out the form below & run along to Swindon.

BCS IR 

Full name: ______________________________________________

Address:   ______________________________________________

Address:   ______________________________________________

Phone:     ______________________________________________

Fax:       ______________________________________________

E-mail:    ______________________________________________

Are you a member of the BCS? YES/NO

        If so, what's your number:_______________________

Now send the form to:
        Specialist Groups Liaison Executive
        BCS
        P O Box 1454
        Station Rd
        Swindon SN1 1TG


** Committee 1993 - 1994 **

Mark Dunlop (Chair) - University of Glasgow
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  041 - 339 8855 ext 4967
        Fax:    041 - 330 4913

Jonathan Furner-Hines - University of Sheffield
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  0742 - 825093
        Fax:    0742 - 780300

Ruben Leon (Next Host) - University of Strathclyde
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  041 - 552 4400 ext 3595
        Fax:    041 - 553 1393

John Lindsay (Treasurer) - University of Kingston
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  081 - 547 2000 ext 2699
        Fax:    081 - 547 1457

Tony McEnery - University of Lancaster
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  0524 - 65201 ext 3796
        Fax:    0524 - 381707

Steve Pollitt - University of Huddersfield
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  0484 - 422 288 ext 2147
        Fax:    0484 - 421 106

Charles Oppenheim - University of Strathclyde
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  041 - 552 4400 ext 3700
        Fax:    041 - 553 1393

Keith van Rijsbergen - University of Glasgow
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  041 - 330 4463 
        Fax:    041 - 330 4913

Mark Sanderson - University of Glasgow
        E-mail: [e-mail]
        Phone:  041 - 339 8855 ext 6292
        Fax:    041 - 330 4913

Frances Slack - Manchester Metropolitan University
        Phone:  0270 - 882 500 x 2213
        Fax:    0270 - 583 433

The preferred method of contact is e-mail then fax.

(C) 1993 BCS IR SG

_______________________
Dr. Mark D. Dunlop                      Phone: [phone] x 4934
Department of Computing Science         Fax:   [phone]
University of Glasgow                   Email: [e-mail]
Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland                      Eudora attachments welcome