Relevanz

Relevanz is the German term for relevance, describing how closely something relates to a matter, goal, or context. It is used across disciplines such as information retrieval, law, and cognitive science to denote applicability or importance.

In information retrieval, relevance determines the usefulness of documents for a user’s query. Systems estimate relevance using features such as term frequency, document authority, and user behavior, producing ranked results. Relevance feedback and learning-to-rank techniques refine models based on user judgments. Relevance is often partial and context-dependent, requiring evaluation by metrics like precision, recall, and user satisfaction.

Relevance theory in linguistics and cognitive science (Sperber and Wilson) posits that communicative success depends on the most relevant interpretation given costs of processing; relevance is a balance between cognitive effects and processing effort, influenced by context.

Legal and scientific contexts use relevance criteria to determine whether information or evidence bears on a case or hypothesis. Irrelevant material is excluded; relevance may be weighed against other considerations such as credibility or burden of proof.

Relevance is also a practical criterion in research, policy, and design, guiding which questions to pursue, which data to collect, and which results matter for stakeholders.