DSG Seminar Series • The Getting of Knowledge: Search and the Global Information Ecology

Speaker: Justin Zobel, University of Melbourne

Location: DC 1302 and over Zoom (register here)

Abstract:

Search technology, originally developed in the field of information retrieval as a computational replacement for the physical indexes used for libraries, is today a key enabler of the embedding of online activity in our lives. In combination with the Web, it has led to the emergence of what might be called the information ecology. This ecology not only adapts to how it is used – collectively and by individuals – but is leading to human adaptation as well, changing our activity in unexpected ways. In this lecture, I reflect on how the field of information retrieval might be defined and understood, an information-ecology perspective on our online experience, and the ways in which search might continue to develop. These reflections illustrate how a human-centric examination of search and information retrieval can suggest socially focused research questions as well as directions for refinement of the technology. 

Bio: Justin Zobel is a Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Melbourne and a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and was recently elected to the SIGIR Academy. He completed his PhD in Computer Science at Melbourne and for many years led the Search Engine group at RMIT University before returning to Melbourne in 2008. In the research community, Professor Zobel is best known for his role in the development of algorithms for efficient web search. His current research areas include search, algorithms and data structures, and measurement. He is the author of three highly regarded textbooks on graduate study and research methods.