Technology is transforming the way we search for, consume, and use information. What was once a list of blue links is now an extremely adaptable interface capable of supporting users in a wide range of tasks. Given this ongoing evolution, the question arises: what kind of search systems will we have in the future, and which tasks will they support?

The DESIRES conference brings together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry who work on search and retrieval systems to present and discuss the latest innovative and visionary ideas in this field. DESIRES is the place to get feedback from our community on ideas and prototypes before they undergo formal evaluation.

2026-12-18	Abstract submission
2027-01-18	Notifications
2027-03 17–19	Conference in Cologne, Germany
2027-05-31	Paper submission

Submissions dates are in Anywhere on Earth (AoE) timezone

DESIRES welcomes submissions that present novel ideas and approaches in the field of search and information retrieval. The only submission format for 2027 is the prototype abstract—a brief rationale and description of a prototype system, illustrated with screenshots. The conference program focuses on the prototypes, with ample time set aside for discussion.

Relevant prototypes for DESIRES include, but are not limited to:

• Novel metrics for relevance, trust, social impact, etc., of search engine use
• New methods for interacting with information during search
• Agentic IR and search engines for agents
• Approaches to interpreting and augmenting search queries and documents
• Systems for under-explored search scenarios and information needs
• Adaptations of search systems to specific target groups or modalities
• New search engine interfaces or interface components
• Simulators for the search behavior of specific personas or populations
• Search interface components to reduce biases or reveal such biases to users
• Mock-ups illustrating (potential) effects of generative search engine usage
• Approaches to combat misinformation and manipulation in search results
• Red-teaming methods for identifying vulnerabilities in search engines

Abstracts will be evaluated based on their relevance to DESIRES, their novelty (distinction from existing work), and their clarity. An evaluation is not required.

Prepare and submit your abstract in accordance with the IRRJ submission guidelines (also refer to the section on Proceedings of DESIRES 2027). Accepted abstracts will be made available to conference participants but will not be published. Authors are invited to expand their abstracts into full papers after the conference by incorporating ideas from conference discussions, experiments, or other material. The resulting conference proceedings will be published in the open-access “Information Retrieval Research Journal” (IRRJ).

DESIRES 2027 will take place at the GESIS Institute, which is about a 10-minute walk from Cologne Central Station; enroute, one passes the famous Cologne Cathedral.

GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
Unter Sachsenhausen 6–8
50667 Cologne
Germany

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General Chair

Johannes Kiesel (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences)

Proceedings Chair

Djoerd Hiemstra (Radboud University, The Netherlands)

Steering Committee

Omar Alonso (Amazon, USA)
Gianmaria Silvello (University of Padua, Italy)