EVENT REPORTReport on the 8th ACM SIGIR Conference on
Human Information Interaction and Retrieval(CHIIR 2023)
Jacek Gwizdka

Soo Young Rieh

IX Lab, School of Information
The University of Texas at Austin, USA

School of Information
The University of Texas at Austin, USA

jacekg@utexas.edu

rieh@ischool.utexas.edu

Abstract
The CHIIR 2023 conference was conducted as a hybrid event in Austin, TX, USA, attracting
over 110 attendees both physically and virtually. The main conference program spanned overthree days and comprised of single-track presentations. Two workshops were organized onthe day prior to the main conference, while the doctoral consortium and tutorial took place
one day after the main event. This report has been prepared by the conference GeneralCo-Chairs.
Date: 19–23 March 2023.
Website: https://sigir.org/chiir2023/.

1Introduction

CHIIR is a multi- and interdisciplinary meeting of the international community engaged in researchat the intersections of human-information interaction, human-computer interaction, information
retrieval, and information behavior. The eighth ACM SIGIR Conference on Human Information
Interaction and Retrieval (CHIIR) was held in Austin, Texas, USA in hybrid format. It followed
three online CHIIRs (2022, 2021 and 2020), and four onsite CHIIRs in Glasgow, Scotland, UK(2019), New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA (2018), Oslo, Norway (2017), and in Chapel Hill, North
Carolina, USA (2016). It is an emerging area of interest to many researchers and to industry, We
blame the coronavirus pandemic for the lower attendance this year.

2Conference Organization

We assembled a great team of volunteers to help us with the conference. The main conference washeld at the AT&T Conference Center and Hotel on the University of Texas at Austin campus,
while the satellite events took place in the School of Information at UT Austin.
The hybrid solution we opted for was “relatively” light weight. It consisted of two components:
Zoom connections with additional cameras and a dedicated Slack messaging channels.
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Accommodating remote participants involved a blend of strategies. For main sessions such as
the opening and closing ceremonies, paper presentations, and keynote addresses, which were held ina sizable auditorium, we utilized two Owl 360 cameras linked to a pair of dedicated laptops, which
were, in turn, connected to the conference Zoom. For smaller gatherings, including workshops, thedoctoral consortium, and the tutorial, a single Owl 360 camera was adequate. The poster and demo
session used several dedicated laptops to support remote presenters, while an independent Zoom
meeting was made accessible to all attendees to facilitate interaction and conversations between inperson and virtual attendees. This equipment complemented the standard audio/visual equipment
available in the conference rooms.

3Technical Program

The submission categories included full and perspective papers, short papers, demonstrations,doctoral consortium papers, workshops, and tutorials.
A total of 66 Full/Perspective paper submissions were received, with 26 accepted and presented
across nine sessions, resulting in an acceptance rate of 39.4%. Among the 26 Full papers, four
were Perspective papers. The Perspective papers are intended to systematically present novel
ideas or insights about approaches, key challenges, or theoretical or methodological issues withthe potential to spark in-depth discussions and contribute to significant advancements in the field.
There were 53 short paper submissions, out of which 20 were accepted for presentation as posters,
yielding an acceptance rate of 37.7%. In the demonstration category, 10 submissions were received,with eight demos accepted. Short papers and demonstrations were presented in the poster session.
While a few full paper and poster presentations were conducted remotely, the majority took placein-person. The proceedings are published in the ACM Digital Library [Gwizdka and Rieh, 2023].
The diverse range of contributed papers, short papers, demos, and doctoral consortium papers
showcased the unique value this forum holds for researchers. We are delighted to see an expanding
array of topics and organizations represented in the CHIIR program.

3.1

Keynotes

Two keynote speakers delivered captivating and revitalizing presentations. The initial plenary
session featured Elizabeth Churchill, Senior Director of UX at Google, who shared insights from her
previous work on content creation and annotation, as well as social and collaborative information
searches across various domains. She also pondered the future of information seeking and inventive
decision-making in the ever-changing world of AI-powered information exploration. The second
keynote presenter was J. Stephen Downie, Associate Dean for Research and Professor at theUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s School of Information Sciences, as well as the Illinois CoDirector of the HathiTrust Research Center (HTRC). He discussed notable parallels between Music
Information Retrieval (MIR) and HTRC retrieval tasks, touching on topics such as collection versus
item retrieval, pleasure and genre-oriented retrieval objectives, and the importance of humandriven search iterations.

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3.2Best Paper and Poster Awards

The CHIIR conference has a tradition of selecting the best paper (full or perspectives paper),runner-up and the best short paper. This year’s winners are:
 Best Paper: “SearchIdea: An Idea Generation Tool to Support Creativity in AcademicSearch” by Catherine Chavula, Yujin Choi, and Soo Young Rieh [Chavula et al., 2023].
 Runner Up: “Driven to Distraction: Examining the Influence of Distractors on Search Behaviours, Performance and Experience” by Leif Azzopardi, David Maxwell, Martin Halvey,and Claudia Hauff [Azzopardi et al., 2023].
 Best Short Paper: “Mapping dementia caregivers’ comments on social media with evidencebased care strategies for memory loss and confusion” by Ning Zou, Yuelyu Ji, Bo Xie, Daqing
He, and Zhimeng Luo [Zou et al., 2023].

3.3Workshops and Tutorials

We accepted two workshops and one tutorial to be part of CHIIR 2023. Both workshops were acontinuation from previous years:
 “Made to Measure: A CHIIR 2023 Workshop on Human-centred Metrics for Information
Seeking”1 organized by George Buchanan, University of Melbourne, Australia, Dana McKay,
University of Melbourne, Australia, Charles Clarke, University of Waterloo, Canada.
 “IWILDS’23: The 4th International Workshop on Investigating Learning During Web Search”2organized by Anett Hoppe, TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science & Technology,Germany, Ran Yu, University of Bonn, Germany, Jiqun Liu, University of Oklahoma, USA,
Nilavra Bhattacharya, University of Texas, USA.

The tutorial offered at CHIIR 2023 was titled “Qualitative Research in Information Interaction” and conducted by Dana McKay, University of Melbourne, Australia, Stephann Makri, City,
University of London, and George Buchanan, University of Melbourne, Australia.

3.4

Doctoral Consortium

Doctoral Consortium (DC) chairs (Drs. Yan Zhang and Charles L A Clarke) did an amazing job
managing a complex mixture of in-person and remote presentations and mentors. There were ten
doctoral consortium papers accepted for presentation and conversations with mentors on the last
day of the conference. The DC Chairs organized a stimulating hybrid meeting for doctoral students
with mentors. Ten doctoral students were matched with 18 mentors. The mentors were: VivienPetras, Orland Hoeber, Stephann Makri, Damiano Spina, Ian Soboroff, Chirag Shah, Maria Gäde,Johanne Trippas, Tina Du, Nicholas Belkin, Claudia Hauff, Paul Thomas, Yubin Kim, Dania Bilal,
Jiqun Liu, Ian Ruthven, Jaime Salvador Arguello, Elliottt Hauser) with whom they met in-personor online.
12

http://www.iirmetrics.com
https://iwilds2023.wordpress.com

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Figure 1. Number of attendees by continent. Overall and online only.

Figure 2. Number of attendees by country. Overall and online only.

4

Participation Statistics

Overall, CHIIR 2023 had 83 in-person and 30 online participants. The latter includes two participants who registered for workshops or tutorials only. The number of attendees in 2019 (i.e. thelast pre-pandemic in-person conference) in Glasgow was 163. The number of attendees during thefirst two online CHIIRs in 2020 and 2021 was 188 and 216, respectively. The peak attendance of260 was in 2022 at the online edition of the conference. In 2023 we had 113 attendees in total (83in-person + 30 online). That level of attendance represents a drop of about 50%. Undoubtedly,
this was partly influenced by the impacts of the Corona-Virus pandemic and the resulting travel
restrictions.
The figures illustrate several interesting phenomena. It is evident that providing a remoteattendance option was especially beneficial for colleagues from various European countries (asseen in Figure 1 and 2), as well as for students (Figure 3). Around 41% of attendees from Europe
and 35% of students participated online. This highlights the shifts in our new P.CV.P (PostCorona-Virus Pandemic) World, where many individuals might hesitate to travel, compoundedby potential visa and funding constraints.

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Figure 3. Attendees from Industry, Academia (full-time) and Students. Overall and online only.

5Reflections

Reflecting on the conference hosted in a hybrid format for the first time, we acknowledge that it
was a semi-successful endeavor. While it is true that the number of attendees decreased compared
to previous online conferences, we are pleased to report that the overall execution of the conference
went smoothly without major technical hitches or disruptions. The utilization of Zoom connections
with additional 360◦ cameras, dedicated laptops, and Slack messaging channels contributed to aseamless flow of communication and presentation delivery. The incorporation of such technologiesfacilitated engaging discussions and interactions between in-person and virtual attendees, helping
bridge the gap between physical and remote participation. The hybrid format allowed us toaccommodate both in-person and remote presentations and participation, offering a broader reachand accessibility to individuals who may have otherwise been unable to attend. This inclusivity
was an important advantage of the hybrid approach.
While the lower attendance was a drawback, it is important to consider the unique circumstances that likely influenced this outcome. Factors such as travel restrictions, budget constraints,
and individual preferences regarding in-person versus remote participation during the P.CV.P era
may have contributed to the reduced number of attendees.

6Conclusions

In conclusion, CHIIR has proven to be more than just a conference—it is a tightly-knit, collegial,and collaborative community. Throughout the event, participants have consistently expressed
their comfort in asking questions, engaging in discussions, and providing valuable feedback tothe presenters. The core value and culture of CHIIR, which fosters an inclusive and supportive environment, have been instrumental in creating this positive atmosphere. Participants feelencouraged to share their insights, exchange ideas, and build relationships with fellow researchers.
As we move forward, it is essential to preserve the welcoming and inclusive nature of CHIIR
while attracting top-notch researchers, promoting knowledge sharing, and fostering meaningful
collaborations. By upholding these values, we can ensure that CHIIR remains a vibrant andACM SIGIR Forum5Vol. 57 No. 1 – June 2023

supportive conference, enabling attendees to maximize their learning experience, establish valuable
connections, and contribute to the advancement of human information interaction and retrieval
research.
Looking ahead, we can also build upon the lessons learned from this hybrid conference experience. By exploring strategies to enhance virtual engagement and actively promoting the benefitsof hybrid participation, we can aim to attract a larger and more diverse audience in future conferences. The CHIIR community will use this valuable experience to continuously refine and optimize
future hybrid conference implementations.

Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the CHIIR Steering Committee for trusting us with organizing the CHIIR 2023
conference and for guidance. We are additionally grateful to ACM SIGIR and ACM for supportand helping us to handle the many administrative aspects of the conference.
We would like to acknowledge the organization team, without whom CHIIR 2023 would nothave been possible. Program Co-chairs: Katriina Bystrom, Chang Liu, and Dan Russell; Short
Paper Co-Chairs: Irene Lopatovska and Dirk Lewandowski; Doctoral Consortium Co-Chairs: Yan
Zhang and Charles L A Clarke; Workshop and Tutorial Co-Chairs: Cathy Smith and Hideo Joho;
Demo Co-Chairs: Jiyin He and Matt Lease; Treasurer Michael Cole; Sponsorship Chair: KathyBrennan; Industry Day Chair: Don Turnbull; Proceedings Chair: Richard Kopak; Local Arrangements Chair: Catherine Chavula; Volunteer Chair: Yujin Choi; Website Design and Development:
Han-Hsuan Lin and Nilavra Bhattacharya. In addition we would like to acknowledge indispensable role in the peer-review process of the 23 members of the Senior Program Committee members
and of all Program Committee members. Last but not least, we thank the 26 wonderful studentvolunteers.
We would like to thank ACM SIGIR for sponsorship and all our sponsors: Lexis-Nexis, Google,
the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin and QajaQ.

References
Leif Azzopardi, David Maxwell, Martin Halvey, and Claudia Hauff. Driven to Distraction: Examining the Influence of Distractors on Search Behaviours, Performance and Experience. In Jacek
Gwizdka and Soo Young Rieh, editors, Proceedings of the 2023 Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval, CHIIR ’23, pages 83–94. Association for Computing Machinery,2023. ISBN 9798400700354. doi: 10.1145/3576840.3578298.
Catherine Chavula, Yujin Choi, and Soo Young Rieh. SearchIdea: An Idea Generation Toolto Support Creativity in Academic Search. In Jacek Gwizdka and Soo Young Rieh, editors,
Proceedings of the 2023 Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval, CHIIR’23, pages 161–171. Association for Computing Machinery, 2023. ISBN 9798400700354. doi:
10.1145/3576840.3578294.

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Jacek Gwizdka and Soo Young Rieh, editors. CHIIR ’23: Proceedings of the 2023 Conference onHuman Information Interaction and Retrieval. Association for Computing Machinery, 2023.
ISBN 9798400700354. doi: 10.1145/3576840.
Ning Zou, Yuelyu Ji, Bo Xie, Daqing He, and Zhimeng Luo. Mapping dementia caregivers’comments on social media with evidence-based care strategies for memory loss and confusion.
In Jacek Gwizdka and Soo Young Rieh, editors, Proceedings of the 2023 Conference on Human
Information Interaction and Retrieval, CHIIR ’23, pages 362–367. Association for Computing
Machinery, 2023. ISBN 9798400700354. doi: 10.1145/3576840.3578313.

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