How Good Is Hybrid Search, Really? An Independent, Statistically Sound Evaluation
Presenters:
- Tibor Lipusz, Product Manager, Liferay
- László Csontos, Search & Retrieval Consultant, TensorOpt
Modern, hybrid search experiences require blending traditional lexical search with AI-powered methods like semantic search. While hybrid search is easy to enable, evaluating its effectiveness remains a challenge.
In this Deep Dive, we measure hybrid retrieval techniques—combining BM25, embeddings, and Reciprocal Rank Fusion (RRF)—against lexical-only retrieval. We also explore relevant Liferay DXP and proprietary Elasticsearch capabilities available via a Liferay Enterprise Search (LES) subscription. Using the public WANDS e-commerce dataset, we apply bootstrap confidence intervals and paired significance tests to identify whether and where hybrid retrieval provides a statistically significant advantage.
This session is co-presented by Tibor Lipusz, Liferay’s Search Product Manager, and László Csontos, an independent search-evaluation consultant from TensorOpt. Together, they provide the product configuration context and the detailed methodological analysis necessary to optimize modern searches.