VIRLab

Abstract

In this paper, we describe VIRLab, a novel web-based virtual laboratory for Information Retrieval (IR). Unlike existing command line based IR toolkits, the VIRLab system provides a more interactive tool that enables easy implementation of retrieval functions with only a few lines of codes, simplified evaluation process over multiple data sets and parameter settings and straightforward result analysis interface through operational search engines and pair-wise comparisons. These features make VIRLab a unique and novel tool that can help teaching IR models, improving the productivity for doing IR model research, as well as promoting controlled experimental study of IR models.