Abstract
The documentary information system used by parliament in The Hague, like all information retrieval systems, makes an initial impression of user-friendliness. It is possible to type in a word (in this case in Dutch) and the computer will produce an answer. If one goes into the available options a little more closely, though, one discovers a number of problems with operating the system. The chief difficulties for the user are : - translating the question into the terminology used by the data file; the inability of the software to improve the content of the question asked.