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Open research questions in Information Retrieval and Search Behavior

189 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 2,296 Information Retrieval and Search Behavior papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • While discovering unknown, yet relevant scientific resources is of paramount importance for knowledge making, little is known about how researchers deploy specific informational practices on, usually ill-equipped, digital scholarly platforms to turn search engines, designed for findability, into discovery engines.

    Venturing into the noise: Discoverability practices of open scholarly resources on a national digital library · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the consequences of unmet information needs are detrimental to both the person being cared for and the carer, a systematic understanding of the causes of unmet information needs is lacking.

    Explaining the unmet information needs of family carers of people with dementia: a theoretical model of information behaviour · 2025 · DOI

  • The use of online database technology in the humanities classroom, in short, could offer an opportunity to appropriate for our own discipline a technology that has al- in other scientific, ready enhanced research technological and professional disciplines and whose potential for individual scholars, teachers, and students in the Humanities still remains to be fully explored. A less obvious con- sequence of the lack of databases on BRS is that faculty have not had the opportunity to see for themselves how useful online searching can be for their own research. They were not limited to the subjects of their papers, and they did not have to tell anyone what they were searching for.

    Composition students online: Database searching in the undergraduate research paper course · 1987 · DOI

  • The study suggests that future research should focus on empirical studies of generative search, information authority, and information practices shaped by artificial intelligence. The study highlights the need for further research on the implications of generative engine optimisation for content producers and information seekers.

    From the click race to the citation game: a conceptual exploration of the shift from search engine optimisation to generative engine optimisation · 2026 · DOI

  • Research scholars face challenges in accessing scholarly information due to the high costs of subscription journals. Research scholars have limited awareness of Open Access models. Research scholars face difficulties in using Open Access resources effectively.

    Impact of Open Access Resources on Scholarly Communication: An Empirical Study of University of Jammu Research Scholars · 2026 · DOI

  • The study only examined the impact of Open Access resources on scholarly communication among research scholars at the University of Jammu. The study used a quantitative research method, which may not capture the nuances of the research scholars' experiences. The study had a limited sample size of 236 respondents.

    Impact of Open Access Resources on Scholarly Communication: An Empirical Study of University of Jammu Research Scholars · 2026 · DOI

  • The study suggests that future research should examine internal information behaviours in more detail. The paper acknowledges that other disciplines, such as psychology, will also have contributions that can be made.

    Information behaviours and the inner life · 2026 · DOI

  • Internal information behaviours have not been a focus in information science research. The traditional focus in information science on the tangibility of information has underplayed the importance of what we do with internal information.

    Information behaviours and the inner life · 2026 · DOI

  • Extensive qualitative research is needed to define a process model for controversial information seeking. A quantitative approach may be used to validate the process model.

    Who’s a heretic now? Conceptualising information seeking on controversial topics · 2026 · DOI

  • Existing information seeking models do not fully account for the characteristics of controversial information seeking. There is a need for a new model to support effective controversial information seeking.

    Who’s a heretic now? Conceptualising information seeking on controversial topics · 2026 · DOI

  • Distinguishing between legally and business-oriented topics in online terms of service. Balancing the need for inclusion and the necessity to legally empower service providers.

    Metadiscourse in Online Terms of Service · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of studies on metadiscourse in contracts and agreements. Prior studies have focused on metadiscursive strategies in judicial materials.

    Metadiscourse in Online Terms of Service · 2026 · DOI

  • The team faced the challenge of selecting the best AI models for the project. The team faced the challenge of ensuring the reliability of information generated by the AI models. The team faced the challenge of addressing user needs and preferences.

    From Card Catalogs to Semantic Search · 2026 · DOI

  • The team plans to repeat the evaluation of LLMs available for generating the summary of a result. The project's findings can inform future research on the development of AI-powered library discovery systems.

    From Card Catalogs to Semantic Search · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in understanding the relationship between keyword length, search volume, and estimated organic traffic in the context of SEO for hotels.

    A hossz számít? – A kulcsszóhossz és a keresési volumen hatása a seo teljesítményre egy szálloda példáján · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to explore the use of AI in DNA testing services. The development of new media and genetic research can lead to the emergence of new services and applications. The paper's findings can inform the development of new policies and regulations for the use of AI in DNA testing services.

    New media and genetic revolution: AI in DNA testing websites Ancestry and MyHeritage · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the relationship between new media and genetic research. The paper highlights the need for a comparative analysis of DNA testing services. The paper identifies the need for further research on the use of AI in DNA testing services.

    New media and genetic revolution: AI in DNA testing websites Ancestry and MyHeritage · 2026 · DOI

  • Run the weaker RAG instruction defined above (use the supplied documents and cite sources, without the abstain / conflict / no-outside-knowledge rubric). Include an end-to-end retrieval condition to separate retriever errors from following errors.

    When Retrieved Evidence Is Not Enough: Measuring Evidence-Following in Retrieval-Augmented Generation · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies that existing RAG evaluations do not isolate generator evidence-following. It highlights the need for controlled experiments to measure how models use provided evidence.

    When Retrieved Evidence Is Not Enough: Measuring Evidence-Following in Retrieval-Augmented Generation · 2026 · DOI

  • further studies could investigate the role of scientometric indicators in different contexts, - further studies could examine the impact of scientometric indicators on research evaluation, - further studies could explore the relationship between scientometric indicators and research quality

    How scientometric indicators shape relevance: an exploratory experimental user study · 2026 · DOI

  • Originality/value The study provides a novel interdisciplinary application of contemporary IB theories to the Quranic narrative, an area rarely investigated in information science research.

    Information behaviour in the Holy Quran: a textual analysis study of patterns and classifications in Surat Yusuf · 2026 · DOI

  • Use of LIS models, theories, and concepts was limited; while this reflects the multidisciplinary nature of TikTok research, it also meant that aspects of IB, such as re-finding, avoidance, and discovery, were underexplored and undertheorized.

    TikTok as information space: A scoping review of information behavior on TikTok · 2025 · DOI

  • Originality/value While research on SEO has been conducted across various fields, no studies have yet explored the intersection of university Web visibility and searches for information on artificial intelligence in search engines.

    Search engine visibility of university AI content: an analysis of thirty institutions from three countries · 2025 · DOI

  • We structure this paper around five key opportunities for AI assistance in scholarly reading —discovery, efficiency, comprehension, synthesis, and accessibility—and present an overview of our progress and discuss remaining open challenges.

    The Semantic Reader Project · 2024 · DOI

  • The AI techniques used mostly in the scanned university libraries are self-directed learning and natural language processing techniques; while the challenges of using AI for reference services are the problem of quality intelligence, linguistic style, privacy, a threat to intellectual freedom, bias, and cost; inadequate experts, poor network, poor training and lack of innovation, and limited knowledge about the technology.

    Application of Artificial Intelligence for Reference Services in Academic Libraries: A Global Overview through a Systematic Review of Literature · 2023 · DOI

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189 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 2,296 Information Retrieval and Search Behavior papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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