{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.01381331100879029, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0033486814566764337, 'mean_word_length': 5.223958333333333, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Book Review: Information retrieval: new systems and current research. Proceedings of the 16th Research Colloquium of the British Computer Society Information Retrieval Specialist Group

Consisting of the transcripts of 13 papers from researchers mainly in the British Isles and delivered at this established and important meeting in the electronic information community, the late publication of these papers has to be welcomed even though many of the initiatives described within it have now somewhat aged. With an emphasis on the theoretical and technical characteristics of information retrieval system designs, the papers nevertheless stretch over a broad field of interest to all in information work. Covering informational semantics, natural language based approaches and search engine designs, through to menu interface designs and user search characteristics studies. The research material presented should offer insights to information retrieval developments for all applications in the field. Not surprisingly, the quality and clarity of expression in the papers varies considerably: this is most irritating where the acronym disease gets its worst hold as it so easily can in such a technical field. Contributors vary as to how well they deal with this potential problem, although the gripes for the non-specialist reader are fewer than they might have been, due no doubt to careful editorial intervention. Even to many information professionals the very density of ‘algebra’ apparent in many of the papers may seen off-putting. This would be a pity if it affected interest as the research ideas being explored here are often readily understood when given but a little patient consideration. And here lies a paradox! These papers are a snapshot of the forefront of electronic information retrieval research as it was in 1994 across a spectrum of information applications. But at this stage the findings are published too late to be very much more than an invaluable contribution to the historic material for ongoing researchers. For a more general readership there is much to explore that is innovative and cutting edge. What a pity that the inevitable style constraints will doubtless limit that wider acceptability. In all therefore this is an invaluable contribution to academe, but as a title for professional reading more generally, one for the gold digger only, I’m afraid.