Treffer: The Word-of-Mouth Emulator ― representing expertise and interests in a research and development environment

The authors have been undertaking a study with paint technology scientists at Courtaulds Coatings in Felling, UK. This work has led to a new model information retrieval : the world-of-mouth system or grapevine. This informal network is used to circulate information about the interests, expertise and work (current and past) of individuals within the organisation. Seeing the information in such personal terms helps to filter and direct it. This makes the word-of-mouth system a very powerful information retrieval system well worth emulating in the form of a computerised system. In the last year, a detailed prototype of the Word-of-Mouth Emulator has been built. This prototype seeks to capture information about scientists' areas of expertise and interests in two ways : by allowing explicit declaration of areas of interest/expertise ; and by logging and analysing scientists' behaviour in using the information retrieval system itself. In producing this prototype World-of-Mouth Emulator some fascinating questions have been raised which bear directly on the relationship between expertise and information retrieval. This paper examines them and describes the practical solutions implemented in the World-of-Mouth Emulator. Early evaluation results are also included.