Call for speakers: Information access workshop at ECIR 2026

INFUSE is a full-day workshop on information access in uncertainty scenarios at the European Conference on Information Retrieval (ECIR ’26) on April 2,  2026, in Delft, the Netherlands.

It aims to bring together the broader information retrieval community and researchers and practitioners from related disciplines to discuss emerging challenges, diverse perspectives, and novel approaches to information access.

Thematics 

People often encounter or seek information on issues for which there is no clear answer. For instance, information may be scarce or nonexistent, as in data voids; knowledge might be evolving, as with current events, emerging topics, or rumours; or there may be multiple perspectives on a debated issue. INFUSE refers to these as uncertainty scenarios.

The organisers of INFUSE invite participants to submit abstracts exploring the challenges of information access. Submissions can be descriptions of ongoing projects, work presented elsewhere, or emerging ideas and perspectives still in development.

Relevant topics include:

• Retrieval models designed to handle information scarcity, ambiguity, and uncertainty
• Evaluation frameworks and metrics for information retrieval under uncertainty
• Techniques for query understanding in uncertainty scenarios
• Methods for detecting and safeguarding against incorrect or misleading information in uncertain or data void settings
• Approaches to aggregate and present information in uncertainty scenarios
• User studies investigating information behaviour, decision-making, trust, and awareness under conditions of uncertainty
• Studies on the impact and adaptation of generative AI in information access in uncertainty scenarios

Objectives

INFUSE aims to:

• Draw attention to emerging risks: highlight emergent issues, such as issues arising from the rapid adoption and integration of LLM-enabled search services, which may lead to potentially harmful consequences.
• Build community: bring together researchers and practitioners from diverse backgrounds who are interested in information access in scenarios of uncertainty.
• Exchange and advance knowledge: engage in structured discussions on topics and questions collected by the organisers before the workshop, as well as questions that emerge during the workshop.
• Improve information access systems: contribute to the development of information access systems that prioritise informed citizens and critical thinking, and raise awareness of the complex nuances of information.
• Promote collaborations: create spaces for researchers to discover shared interests and explore opportunities for impactful collaboration.

How to apply

Applicants must submit abstracts no longer than 600 words with links to references directly to EasyChair.

First call (with regular fee registration for ECIR):

• Tuesday 3 Feb 2026, 23.59 (AoE): Abstract submission deadline
• Tuesday 10 Feb 2026: Notification

Second call (with late fee registration for ECIR):

• Tuesday 3 March 2026, 23.59 (AoE): Abstract submission deadline
• Tuesday 10 March 2026: Notification

For more information, please visit this page.