The advent of time-sharing computer organizations and input-output console equipment has made it possible to experiment with interactive information handling methods in which the user takes on important functions both in planning and in executing information searches. The principal interactive text storage and retrieval processes are briefly reviewed, including text editing, text analysis and indexing, query formulation, and information searching. The user's role is stressed in each case, and particular attention is paid to interactive search procedures in which both the user queries and the stored information files become altered as a result of the user-system interaction. Evaluation results obtained with the SMART retrieval system are exhibited for some of the proposed methodology.