Research in image indexing and retrieval as reflected in the literature

Documents relevant to the subject of image indexing and retrieval, obtained from the SCI and SSCI databases, were examined and analyzed. The study confirms that there exist in this rapidly growing field two distinctive research groups employing the content-based and description-based approaches, respectively. However, research in the content-based domain is currently dominating in the field, while the other approach has less visibility. Although researchers using the content-based approach actively communicated with colleagues from the same group, collaboration between the different clusters of scientists should be further promoted and encouraged to advance research and development in image indexing and retrieval.