Applying Ostensive Functionalism in the place of Descriptive Proceduralism: "The query is dead"

In this short report I outline work that makes a case for the abandonment of queries in approaches to information access. I first highlight problems with queries. I then point out the complementary nature of query-based and browse-based approaches. I describe the “Ostensive Model” that forms the core of a new approach combining the two traditional approaches. It replaces the current reliance upon “Descriptive Proceduralism” with one of “Ostensive Functionalism”. I believe the hybrid has potentially important mediaand language-independence characteristics that make it ideal for a new generation of Information Retrieval systems.