On‐line Subject Indexing and Retrieval
Lee Higgins, Francis J. Smith · Data Technologies and Applications · 1969
A working system is described for the interactive storage of bibliographic information on a random access store and its retrieval by a conversation between the user and computer through an on‐line teleprinter. The index words are drawn automatically from the significant words in the title and subheadings (figure, table and chapter headings) and assembled in a hash‐indexed inverted file. Emphasis to date has been placed on developing the necessary techniques for such a system and in particular on studying the efficiency of different methods of storing and retrieving information about a large number of documents. An unusual feature of the system is that it is updated in a partly interactive mode.