Salton Award Lecture* On theoretical argument in information retrieval Stephen Robertson Microsoft Research St G e o r g e H o u s e 1 Guildhall Street Cambridge CB2 3NH email s e r @ m i c r o s o f t , com Preamble First, let me say how pleased I am to receive this award. I am flattered indeed to be invited to join this - I was going to say "august" company, b u t august is a Latin word, more specifically Roman. I think in deference to our present location, I should perhaps say something different. I don't think the Greeks had an exact equivalent (not having gone in for emperors like the Romans), but perhaps "olympian" will serve the purpose. At any rate, I really appreciate the honour accorded to me by SIGIR and the committee of holders of the award who take the decision. Theory versus pragma I consider myself a theorist. T h a t is, my inclination is to theoretical argument, to achieving theoretical understanding, in information retrieval as in other realms. To me, understanding is what theory is about; those other attributes of theory, prediction and
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