Searchplex ID Retrieval terminology registry

Task

Conversational Search

Canonical ID https://id.searchplex.net/conversational-search/

A search task or interaction pattern in which users seek information through a multi-turn natural-language conversation with a search or retrieval system.

Also called

  • Conversational Information Retrieval
  • CIR

Scope

Conversational search emphasizes dialogue, context carryover, clarification, and multi-turn interaction. It overlaps with conversational information retrieval and interactive search, but is not simply a single query or a RAG system.

Part of family

Not equivalent to

  • Conversational Search is not Agentic Retrieval. Conversational search centers on user-system dialogue; agentic retrieval centers on an agent controlling retrieval actions.
  • Conversational Search is not Retrieval-Augmented Generation. Conversational search is a multi-turn search interaction pattern; RAG is a generation pattern using retrieved information.
  • Conversational Search is not Interactive Search. Conversational search is a dialogue-oriented form of interactive search; interactive search also includes non-conversational interactions such as faceting, browsing, and reformulation.
  • Conversational Search is not Session Search. Session search uses session context across interactions; conversational search specifically involves a conversational interface or dialogue.

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ID