Creating a test collection to evaluate diversity in image retrieval

This paper describes the adaptation of an existing test collection for image retrieval to enable diversity in the results set to be measured. Previous research has shown that a more diverse set of results often satisfies the needs of more users better than standard document rankings. To enable diversity to be quantified, it is necessary to classify images relevant to a given theme to one or more sub-topics or clusters. We describe the challenges in building (as far as we are aware) the first test collection for evaluating diversity in image retrieval. This includes selecting appropriate topics, creating sub-topics, and quantifying the overall effectiveness of a retrieval system. A total of 39 topics were augmented for cluster-based relevance and we also provide an initial analysis of assessor agreement for grouping relevant images into sub-topics or clusters

Exploring cost-effective approaches to human evaluation of search engine relevance

Abstract. In this paper, we examine novel and less expensive methods for search engine evaluation that do not rely on document relevance judgments. These methods, described within a proposed framework, are motivated by the increasing focus on search results presentation, by the growing diversity of documents and content sources, and by the need to measure effectiveness relative to other search engines. Correlation analysis of the data obtained from actual tests using a subset of the methods in the framework suggest that these methods measure different aspects of the search engine. In practice, we argue that the selection of the test method is a tradeoff between measurement intent and cost.