Following the increased development and use of logical notations from the mid-19th century, distinctions were formulated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concern here is not directly with the final validity of the distinction but with the example of its clarifying effect. The metalanguage of discussion about information retrieval systems can be differentiated from the object-language of the transformations carried out within information retrieval systems. The metalanguage of information retrieval research has characteristically, although not necessarily explicitly, displayed a founding assumption, some central concepts subsidiary to that assumption, entities distinguished for evaluative purposes, and some derived measures. Information retrieval research discussion has also been concerned with the relative value of different transformations in the object language when assessed within this paradigm.
Relevance is regarded as a significant dimension of informed choice or exploratory capability.
Techniques developed in information retrieval research for transformations in the object-language can be adapted, perhaps particularly in interactive modes, to support exploration rather than being used to deliver relevant records. Other components of its metalanguage, such as the central concepts of information need and relevance and the derived measures of precision and recall, can be transformed into objects of dialectic engagement for future development. What is regarded as valuable in information retrieval research has been retained. The substitution of the principle of enhanced informed choice can be regarded as exemplifying the development of a true science, in which previous paradigms are absorbed into a new formulation as special cases. References Bochenski, I.M. 1961.