parsing multi-word queries

In the writing of a general purpose (web) search engine, is it better to automatically parse queries into single terms and n-word phrases, or to get the user to identify phrases with the use of quotes?

E.g. Input = *Japanese railways bullet train*

Should it be parsed into Japanese, railways, bullet, train, Japanese railways, railways bullet, bullet train, Japanese railways bullet, railways bullet train, Japanese railways bullet train? Or should the user be left to identify "bullet train"?

Is there any research into identifying candidate n-word phrases (without having to test every candidate against the index)?

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http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/samoa/1382/index.html Received on Tue Aug 21 2001 - 00:04:14 CEST