Reflections on Information Retrieval

The 2016 Strix Annual Lecture

Abstract

This article pays homage to the success of UKeiG’s Tony Kent Strix Award, with a brief overview of the fascinating 2016 Annual Lecture. Chris Armstrong writes: “The panel that runs the Tony Kent Strix Award felt for a number of years that the winners should be celebrated in some way that extended beyond a simple presentation, and the inauguration of the Annual Strix Lecture in 2015 was the outcome. Peter Ingwersen followed Microsoft’s Dr Susan T Dumais and will be followed next year by the 2016 winner, Professor Maristella Agosti.”

On his recent retirement from UKeiG, Chris, who with the Strix panel has managed the Award for many years, said: “It has been an honour to be associated with the Tony Kent Strix Award for so long. It is given in recognition and appreciation of a man I only knew slightly, but who made major contributions to information retrieval. The list of previous winners is impressive, from Professor Stephen Robertson through international luminaries such as Donna Harman, Peter Willett, Kalervo Jarvelin, Keith van Rijsbergen and Herbert van Sompel. The award stands as a fitting tribute to everything that Tony Kent accomplished. It should be said that it also marks the not inconsiderable effort put in over the years by my colleagues on the Strix panel who set up the Award following Tony Kent’s death.” In taking over the Award from the Institute of Information Scientists, UKeiG recognised its value and importance, and the group is proud to sponsor the Annual Lecture.