Validation samples both the documents retrieved by search terms and those not retrieved, measuring precision and estimating how much responsive material fell outside the terms.
Testing the null set is what establishes recall.
Alternative Names:
Term Validation, Keyword Testing
Why it Matters?
Keyword search performs worse than practitioners assume, and validation is what reveals it. Terms miss synonyms, misspellings, code words, and discussions that never use the expected vocabulary. Sampling the null set to estimate elusion converts an assumption of adequacy into a measured figure, and it is the step that makes a keyword-based process defensible when challenged.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
How are search terms validated?
Why do keyword searches miss material?
