This document discusses geocoding in geographic information retrieval systems. It begins by defining geocoding as assigning geographic coordinates to recognized locations. It then discusses how geocoding can involve addresses, objects, people, or animals/habitats. The document also notes that geocoding is sometimes called georeferencing or geotagging. It provides examples of how search engines like Google and Bing georeference the location of Knoxville, Tennessee. Other topics covered include gazetteers, ontologies for geographic information retrieval, and the need for specialized gazetteers and ontologies to enable spatial queries in domain-specific applications.