Towards Responsible Information Access: Evaluating Search and Recommendation in an Age of Misinformation
Anusha Silva
Highland University of Sri Lanka
Dinesh Perera
Keywords: information access, search engines, recommender systems, responsible AI, misinformation
Abstract
The proliferation of misinformation online has emerged as a major societal challenge, with search engines and recommender systems playing a central role in how people access and consume content. This paper examines frameworks for evaluating and improving information access systems through the lens of responsibility, reviewing technical approaches as well as broader governance and policy considerations. First, we conceptualize responsibility in information access, drawing from literature on ethics, law, and design. We then survey evaluation frameworks for responsible search and recommendation, including metrics, user studies, and auditing methods. Challenges around defining and assessing fairness, accuracy, transparency, and user agency are highlighted. The third section explores high-level governance and policy levers, from industry self-regulation to government oversight. We conclude with recommendations for advancing research and practice towards more responsible information access, balancing the core values of free expression, user autonomy, transparency, and the greater good. Our analysis aims to spur interdisciplinary dialogue and ground information access systems in their societal context.
Author Biography
Dinesh Perera
