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LBSC 796/INFM 718R
Information Retrieval Systems
Fall 2007
Course Description

Catalog Description

Principles of organizing and providing access to information using automated information storage and retrieval systems. Retrieval system models, index language selection, data structures, user interfaces and evaluation for text and multimedia applications.

Requirements

INFM 718R satisfies the advanced technology course requirement for the MIM program. MIM students must have completed (or waived) INFM 603, and they must have either completed, waived, or be concurrently registered for tINFM 600 and INFM 605.

MLS students must have completed (or waived) LBSC 690, and must have completed, waived, or be concurrently registered for the other three coure courses in their program (LBSC 650, LBSC 670, and the appropriate information use course for their program).

Students enrolled in other programs (including CLIS Ph.D. students) should consult with the instructor to determine whether their academic preparation is appropriate for this course.

Goals

Approach

We will develop a general model for information retrieval systems in class, and will then use readings and class discussions to explore how that model can be used as a basis for understanding the design of information retrieval systems for a variety of applications. Homework assignments will be used to explore individual techniques in greater detail. Students will complete a term project in which they will solve a real information retrieval problem with the goal of developing a better understanding of implementation and evaluation issues.

Contact Information

  Instructor Teaching Assistant Technology Assistant
Name Doug Oard Yejun Wu Andy Werner
Email oard@umd.edu wuyj (at) umd.edu awerner (at) umd.edu
Office HBK 4121G/AVW 3145 HBK 4120A  
Phone (301)405-7590    
I am available by appointment to discuss material from class, the readings, homework assignments, the project, etc. Email is the best way to reach me to set up an appointment, and it is also a good way to get a quick answer to a simple question. The teaching assistant is available to help with the installation and use of information retrieval systems. Contact the technology assistant during class or by email at least two weeks in advance if you have special system configuration requirements for your term project presentation.

Schedule

Day Time (P.M.)Activity Room
Monday 5:00-5:45 Office HoursHBK 4121G
Monday 6:00-8:45 Class PLS 1129

A syllabus that summarizes what we will cover each week can be found on the class Web site. There are no scheduled lab sessions. Students wishing to discuss accommodations for unusual circumstances should come see me before the third class session.

Course Materials

The class Web site at http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/~oard/teaching/796/fall07/ contains the most recent version of all material produced for this course. Among other things, this course description, the syllabus, the reading list, lecture notes and homework assignments can be found there.

Textbook and supplemental reading assignments for each week can be found on the syllabus. The principal text for this course (referred to below as "MRS" for the authors' initials) is Christopher D. Manning, Prabhakar Raghavan and Heinrich Schuetze, An Introduction to Information Retrieval, Draft as of July 1, 2007 (or later). This book is available only on the Web at this point.

Students are encouraged to use the course mailing list (lbsc796-0101-fall07@coursemail.umd.edu) to share information that would be of genral interest, to describe their project interests when seeking potential partners, or for any other purpose that seems reasonable. Mail sent to that address will reach the professor, TA, and all students. Students that were registered or waitlisted as of July 17, 2007 were automatically subscribed to the list using the email address that the university has on file. Please contact oard@umd.edu if you want your address on that list changed.

When possible, lectures will be videotaped and placed on top of the filing cabinet outside HBK 4121G. There is only a single copy for each lecture, so if you borrow one please leave a note and return it expeditiously. RealVideo recordings of each class will also be made when possible and linked to from the syllabus. Students wishing to view a live RealVideo feed for specific sessions should make arrangements with the technology assistant in advance.

Grading

Course grades wil be assigned based on homework, a term project, and an in-class final examination. With the exception noted below, scores on each component will be combined to produce a single overall score for each student as follows:
Component Portion of Grade
Homework 20%
Project 50%
Final Exam 30%
The exception is Computer Science (CS) students who wish for the course to meet the CS qualifying exam requirement. Those students will receive a different final exam, and their grade will be computed as follows:
Component Portion of Grade
Homework 20%
Project 30%
Final Exam 50%

The homework assignments are designed to provide an opportunity for students to explore specific topics in a structured way. Students may work together on the homework assignments, but all of the material that is turned in for grading must be produced individually. For example, students may form study groups and work out homework solutions together on a chalkboard or by each working separately on different terminals and then sharing what they have learned, but it would not be permissible for one student to prepare an answer set and then for other students to copy those answers and submit it as their own work.

A term project will be completed by the end of the semester. Students may work individually or in groups. Additional details are provided on the project plan Web page.

Doug Oard
Last modified: Oct 18 2007