Comparison of functions and commands of on-line information retrieval systems in conversational mode is discussed from user's point of view. As IR systems, the JOIS I and II, ORBIT, and DIALOG are taken up, to which TIS-Online and TOOL-IR are added to compile comparison table. Functions and commands examined are : start and stop of conversation, start and end, pause and restart of query, enumeration of index words, reference to thesaurus file, retrieval function, logical operations, registry of query, answer output, and supplementary commands. Finally, design principles are evaluated and it was concluded that JOTS II is similar to ORBIT in respect to form but representation of supplementary commands and operators are like those of DIALOG, therefore JOIS II is characteristically lying between both systems and almost on the same level with them.
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