Reports a preliminary investigation into the man-machine interaction aspects of online searching, including the methodology developed for observing and recording man-machine interface in the use of online information retrieval systems. Three references are cited, and a bibliography lists 16 sources. (FM)

The contradictory nature of the phrase user-oriented interface (UOI) as commonly applied to retrieval systems is discussed, and a different approach to the problem made feasible through improvements in the technology is described. (Author/JPF)