A dialectical approach to information retrieval
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the question of whether the often paradoxical and conceptually contradictory discipline of information retrieval (IR) can be understood more clearly when it is analyzed from a dialectical perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Conceptual analysis and literature review.
Findings
A dialectical understanding of meaning can assist in clarifying some aspects of the complex nature of current IR theory.
Research limitations/implications
Philosophy has the potential to explore the conflicts and contradictions in IR and should not be used just as a means of synthesis and resolution. The use of the philosophy of meaning should include a broader understanding of the philosophical oppositions which lie behind the nature of meaning.
Originality/value
This paper suggests a new perspective on the role of meaning in IR: the dialectical model.
Keywords
Citation
Thornley, C. and Gibb, F. (2007), "A dialectical approach to information retrieval", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 63 No. 5, pp. 755-764. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410710827781
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited