The key role of classification and indexing in view-based searching

The application of classification schemes and thesauri to improve online information retrieval can be traced back to the beginnings of online searching itself, but the true potential for using knowledge structures in the user interface has yet to be realized. View-based searching seeks to exploit the classified arrangements in thesauri and existing classification schemes to improve the performance of such systems. HIBROWSE for EMBASE is a system which demonstrates the power of applying an approach to information retrieval which is strongly related to faceted classification. It does this by employing a point and click user interface with mutually constraining views utilising knowledge structure hierarchies for both query specification and the presentation of results. The relevance of this approach to library OPACs is discussed in the context of the digital library, concluding that our legacy of research in classification and indexing is more relevant than ever in the design of systems to cope with the problems of information access.