Information retrieval interfaces in virtual reality-A scoping review focused on current generation technology

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Information Science
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Traditional Information Retrieval (IR) interfaces have seen little innovation.
• Emerging Virtual Reality (VR) hardware presents an opportunity to revolutionize the IR user experience.
• This study investigates the current landscape of VR IR systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify existing VR IR prototypes and concepts using current hardware.
• To analyze user interaction, input methods, retrieval features, and result presentation in VR IR systems.
• To compare the efficacy of VR IR systems against traditional non-VR IR systems.

Main Methods:

• A Scoping Literature Review following the PRISMA-ScR methodology was conducted.
• Searches were performed on Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science, reviewing 1042 documents.
• 30 relevant documents detailing 16 distinct systems or theories were analyzed.

Main Results:

• VR IR systems utilize diverse input methods like controllers, voice, and hand tracking.
• Systems support retrieval of various content types (literature, 3D objects, text) displayed in virtual environments.
• User evaluations (n=10) indicated shorter/equal task times (n=5, n=3) and better/equal performance (n=3, n=1) in VR compared to traditional systems.
• User satisfaction was consistently higher with VR IR systems.

Conclusions:

• VR IR systems offer a novel and engaging approach to information retrieval.
• Despite limitations in current evaluations, VR IR demonstrates potential for improved user experience and performance.
• Further research is needed to address demographic selection and baseline system quality in user studies.