Speeding up access to information: this paper explores the possibility of using the user's local storage capabilities to cache data at the user's site in information retrieval systems. This could improve the response time of user queries albeit at the cost of incurring the overhead required in maintaining multiple copies. The paper introduces the concept of *quasi-copies*, which embodies the ideas sketched above. We also define the types of deviations that seem useful, and discuss the available implementation strategies. Using quasi-copies of data on user's local storage capabilities may lead to faster retrieval of that data.
Published in the ACM Transactions on Database Systems. This work is aligned with the journal's content, as it explores optimizing information retrieval systems through data caching techniques. The use of quasi-copies and the exploration of implementation strategies align with the journal's focus on improving the efficiency and performance of database systems, contributing to the broader field of computer science.