Why is information retrieval a scientific discipline? | PolyU Institutional Research Archive

<!doctype html> <html lang="auto"> <head> <base href="https://ira.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/10397/94873"> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-57343146-1"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-57343146-1'); </script> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-GL4E4LH3XG"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-GL4E4LH3XG'); </script> <title>Why is information retrieval a scientific discipline? | PolyU Institutional Research Archive</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <meta name="Generator" content="DSpace CRIS-5.8.0"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/jquery-ui-1.10.3.custom/redmond/jquery-ui-1.10.3.custom.css" type="text/css"> <link href="/css/researcher.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/css/jdyna.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/bootstrap/bootstrap.min.css" type="text/css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/bootstrap/bootstrap-theme.min.css" type="text/css"> <link href="/static/css/font-awesome/css/font-awesome.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/static/css/jstree/themes/default/style.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/bootstrap/dspace-theme.css" type="text/css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/orcid.css" type="text/css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/css/dataTables.bootstrap.min.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/css/buttons.bootstrap.min.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/css/responsive.bootstrap.min.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/bootstrap/dspace-theme.css" type="text/css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/bootstrap-datetimepicker.min.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/css/select.dataTables.min.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/css/bootstrap/pira-theme.css"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/open-search/description.xml" title="DSpace"> <link rel="schema.DCTERMS" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://purl.org/dc/terms/"> <link rel="schema.DC" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"> <meta name="DC.contributor" content="Department of Computing" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.creator" content="Luk, RWP" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DCTERMS.dateAccepted" content="2022-08-30T08:32:55Z" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF"> <meta name="DCTERMS.available" content="2022-08-30T08:32:55Z" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="1233-1821" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="http://hdl.handle.net/10397/94873" scheme="DCTERMS.URI"> <meta name="DC.language" content="en" xml:lang="en_US" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC1766"> <meta name="DC.publisher" content="Springer" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.rights" content="漏 Springer Nature B.V. 2020" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.rights" content="This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature鈥檚 AM terms of use (https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-research/policies/accepted-manuscript-terms), but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10699-020-09685-x." xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.subject" content="Science" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.subject" content="Information retrieval" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.subject" content="Physics" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.subject" content="Correspondence" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.subject" content="Similarity" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.title" content="Why is information retrieval a scientific discipline?" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.type" content="Journal/Magazine Article" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="427" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="453" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="27" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="2" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="10.1007/s10699-020-09685-x" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="WOS:000543944700001"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="2-s2.0-85087024544"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="1572-8471" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.description" content="202208 bckw" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.description" content="Accepted Manuscript" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="a1461"> <meta name="DC.identifier" content="45051"> <meta name="DC.description" content="Self-funded" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.description" content="Published" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="DC.description" content="Green (AAM)" xml:lang="en_US"> <meta name="citation_keywords" content="Science; Information retrieval; Physics; Correspondence; Similarity; Journal/Magazine Article"> <meta name="citation_title" content="Why is information retrieval a scientific discipline?"> <meta name="citation_publisher" content="Springer"> <meta name="citation_journal_title" content="Foundations of science"> <meta name="citation_abstract" content="It is relatively easy to state that information retrieval (IR) is a scientific discipline but it is rather difficult to understand why it is science because what is science is still under debate in the philosophy of science. To be able to convince others that IR is science, our ability to explain why is crucial. To explain why IR is a scientific discipline, we use a theory and a model of scientific study, which were proposed recently. The explanation involves mapping the knowledge structure of IR to that of well-known scientific disciplines like physics. In addition, the explanation involves identifying the common aim, principles and assumptions in IR and in well-known scientific disciplines like physics, so that they constrain the scientific investigation in IR in a similar way as in physics. Therefore, there are strong similarities in terms of the knowledge structure and the constraints of the scientific investigations between IR and scientific disciplines like physics. Based on such similarities, IR is considered a scientific discipline."> <meta name="citation_author" content="Luk, RWP"> <meta name="citation_date" content="2022"> <meta name="citation_abstract_html_url" content="http://ira.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/10397/94873"> <meta name="citation_issue" content="2"> <meta name="citation_firstpage" content="427"> <meta name="citation_issn" content="1233-1821"> <meta name="citation_doi" content="10.1007/s10699-020-09685-x"> <meta name="citation_language" content="en"> <meta name="citation_pdf_url" content="http://ira.lib.polyu.edu.hk/bitstream/10397/94873/1/IRSci19.pdf"> <meta name="citation_volume" content="27"> <meta name="citation_lastpage" content="453"> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/jquery/jquery-1.11.3.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/jquery/jquery-ui-1.11.4.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/moment.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/bootstrap/bootstrap.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/holder.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/utils.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/custom-functions.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/choice-support.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jdyna/jdyna.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jquery.dataTables.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/dataTables.bootstrap.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/dataTables.buttons.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/buttons.bootstrap.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/buttons.html5.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/dataTables.responsive.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/bootstrap-datetimepicker.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/dataTables.select.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jszip.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var j = jQuery.noConflict(); 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animation-timing-function: ease; animation-duration: 10s; animation-iteration-count: infinite; } .carousel__slide:last-child .carousel__snapper { animation-name: tostart, snap; } } @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { .carousel__snapper { animation-name: none; } } .carousel:hover .carousel__snapper, .carousel:focus-within .carousel__snapper { animation-name: none; } .carousel__navigation { position: absolute; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; text-align: center; } .carousel__navigation-list, .carousel__navigation-item { display: inline-block; } .carousel__navigation-button { display: inline-block; width: 1.5rem; height: 1.5rem; background-color: #333; background-clip: content-box; border: 0.25rem solid transparent; border-radius: 50%; font-size: 0; transition: transform 0.1s; } .carousel::before, .carousel::after, .carousel__prev, .carousel__next { position: absolute; top: 0; margin-top: 37.5%; width: 4rem; height: 4rem; transform: translateY(-50%); border-radius: 50%; font-size: 0; outline: } </style> <div class="row"> <div id="wrapperDisplayItem" class="col-lg-9"> <table class="table itemDisplayTable"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Title: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">Why is information retrieval a scientific discipline?</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Authors: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue"><a href="https://ira-lib-polyu-edu-hk.translate.goog/browse?type=author&authority=rp00376&authority_lang=en_US&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="authority author">Luk, RWP</a> <span data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="top" title="Former PolyU Researcher" class="fa fa-user exstaff" style="color:#ccc"></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Issue Date: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">Jun-2022</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Source: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">Foundations of science, June 2022, v. 27, no. 2, p. 427-453</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Abstract: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">It is relatively easy to state that information retrieval (IR) is a scientific discipline but it is rather difficult to understand why it is science because what is science is still under debate in the philosophy of science. To be able to convince others that IR is science, our ability to explain why is crucial. To explain why IR is a scientific discipline, we use a theory and a model of scientific study, which were proposed recently. The explanation involves mapping the knowledge structure of IR to that of well-known scientific disciplines like physics. In addition, the explanation involves identifying the common aim, principles and assumptions in IR and in well-known scientific disciplines like physics, so that they constrain the scientific investigation in IR in a similar way as in physics. Therefore, there are strong similarities in terms of the knowledge structure and the constraints of the scientific investigations between IR and scientific disciplines like physics. Based on such similarities, IR is considered a scientific discipline.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Keywords: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">Science<br> Information retrieval<br> Physics<br> Correspondence<br> Similarity</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Publisher: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">Springer</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Journal: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue"><a href="https://ira-lib-polyu-edu-hk.translate.goog/cris/journal/journal02647?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="authority">Foundations of science </a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">ISSN: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">1233-1821</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">EISSN: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">1572-8471</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">DOI: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue"><a href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007%252Fs10699-020-09685-x">10.1007/s10699-020-09685-x</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="metadataFieldLabel">Rights: </td> <td class="metadataFieldValue">漏 Springer Nature B.V. 2020<br> This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature鈥檚 AM terms of use (https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-research/policies/accepted-manuscript-terms), but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. 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