We introduce query-free information retrieval, a paradigm in which queries are constructed autonomously and information relevant to a user is offered without explicit request. Query-free methods offer an apparently new approach for integrating knowledge-based applications with legacy databases. We describe a fielded system, FIXIT, which integrates an expert diagnostic system with a pre-existing fulltext database of maintenance manuals. The reported results suggest that queryfree information retrieval can liberate the user from burdensome information retrieval activities while incurring only modest system development costs and minimal run-time costs.
Peter E. Hart, Jamey Graham