Search Result Explanations Improve Efficiency and Trust

Jerome Ramos, Carsten Eickhoff

Abstract: Search engines often provide only limited explanation on why results are ranked in a particular order. This lack of transparency prevents users from understanding results and can potentially give rise to biased or unfair systems. Opaque search engines may also hurt user trust in the presented ranking. This paper presents an investigation of system quality when different degrees of explanation are provided on search engine result pages. Our user study demonstrates that the inclusion of even simplistic explanations leads to better transparency, increased user trust and better search efficiency.