{
  "altLabels": [
    "One-Shot Retrieval",
    "Single Shot Retrieval",
    "One Shot Retrieval"
  ],
  "definition": "A non-iterative retrieval setup in which a single query, topic, or information need is submitted and a result set or ranked list is produced without dependent follow-up retrieval steps.",
  "distinctions": [
    {
      "reason": "Ad hoc retrieval is a classic task formulation that is often evaluated in a single-shot way, but single-shot retrieval names the non-iterative interaction pattern rather than the collection/topic setup.",
      "statement": "Single-Shot Retrieval is not Ad Hoc Retrieval.",
      "target": "ad-hoc-retrieval",
      "targetLabel": "Ad Hoc Retrieval",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/ad-hoc-retrieval/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Single-shot retrieval is non-iterative; agentic retrieval lets an agent plan, issue, evaluate, and iterate retrieval actions.",
      "statement": "Single-Shot Retrieval is not Agentic Retrieval.",
      "target": "agentic-retrieval",
      "targetLabel": "Agentic Retrieval",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/agentic-retrieval/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Single-shot retrieval produces results without user-system interaction over time; interactive search centers on interaction across a search process.",
      "statement": "Single-Shot Retrieval is not Interactive Search.",
      "target": "interactive-search",
      "targetLabel": "Interactive Search",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/interactive-search/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Single-shot retrieval uses one non-iterative retrieval attempt; iterative retrieval repeats retrieval attempts.",
      "statement": "Single-Shot Retrieval is not Iterative Retrieval.",
      "target": "iterative-retrieval",
      "targetLabel": "Iterative Retrieval",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/iterative-retrieval/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Single-shot retrieval uses one retrieval attempt or query; multi-hop retrieval uses multiple dependent retrieval steps or evidence hops.",
      "statement": "Single-Shot Retrieval is not Multi-Hop Retrieval.",
      "target": "multi-hop-retrieval",
      "targetLabel": "Multi-Hop Retrieval",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/multi-hop-retrieval/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Single-shot retrieval treats a query or topic in isolation; session search uses multiple related interactions within a search session.",
      "statement": "Single-Shot Retrieval is not Session Search.",
      "target": "session-search",
      "targetLabel": "Session Search",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/session-search/"
    }
  ],
  "id": "single-shot-retrieval",
  "kind": "Task",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/",
  "links": [
    {
      "label": "An example information retrieval problem",
      "type": "canonicalSurvey",
      "url": "https://nlp.stanford.edu/IR-book/html/htmledition/an-example-information-retrieval-problem-1.html"
    }
  ],
  "modifiedAt": "2026-09-14T06:43:46Z",
  "prefLabel": "Single-Shot Retrieval",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "Searchplex",
    "url": "https://searchplex.net/"
  },
  "relations": [
    {
      "target": "retrieval",
      "type": "broader"
    },
    {
      "note": "Ad hoc retrieval is a classic task formulation that is often evaluated in a single-shot way, but single-shot retrieval names the non-iterative interaction pattern rather than the collection/topic setup.",
      "target": "ad-hoc-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Single-shot retrieval is non-iterative; agentic retrieval lets an agent plan, issue, evaluate, and iterate retrieval actions.",
      "target": "agentic-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Single-shot retrieval produces results without user-system interaction over time; interactive search centers on interaction across a search process.",
      "target": "interactive-search",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Single-shot retrieval uses one non-iterative retrieval attempt; iterative retrieval repeats retrieval attempts.",
      "target": "iterative-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Single-shot retrieval uses one retrieval attempt or query; multi-hop retrieval uses multiple dependent retrieval steps or evidence hops.",
      "target": "multi-hop-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Single-shot retrieval treats a query or topic in isolation; session search uses multiple related interactions within a search session.",
      "target": "session-search",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "target": "ad-hoc-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "agentic-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "interactive-search",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "iterative-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "multi-hop-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "session-search",
      "type": "related"
    }
  ],
  "representations": {
    "html": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-shot-retrieval/",
    "json": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-shot-retrieval.json",
    "jsonld": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-shot-retrieval.jsonld"
  },
  "scheme": "https://id.searchplex.net/scheme/",
  "scopeNote": "Single-shot retrieval is useful as a contrast with multi-hop retrieval, interactive search, session search, and agentic retrieval. The phrase one-shot retrieval is sometimes used informally, but single-shot avoids confusion with one-shot learning in machine learning.",
  "status": "published",
  "terms": [
    {
      "community": "industry",
      "label": "Single-Turn Retrieval",
      "usage": "nearSynonym"
    },
    {
      "community": "academic",
      "label": "Single-Query Retrieval",
      "usage": "nearSynonym"
    }
  ],
  "uri": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-shot-retrieval/"
}