--- title: "SAGE-RAI: design patterns for transparent RAG systems" description: Design patterns from SAGE-RAI for building transparent retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems in education — published at The Web Conference 2026. image: https://theodi.hacdn.io/media/images/7.2_GridsFace-Orange-ArticleHeroBa.2e16d0ba.fill-700x500.png --- [![ODI Learning](https://learning.theodi.org/hs-fs/hubfs/01_ODI%20Learning/learning-150-Blue-L%20(1).png?width=121&height=56&name=learning-150-Blue-L%20(1).png)](https://learning.theodi.org) - [Courses & Training](https://learning.theodi.org/courses) Show submenu for Courses & Training - [Quick Learning](https://learning.theodi.org/micro-courses) - [Self-Paced Courses](https://learning.theodi.org/self-paced-courses) Show submenu for Self-Paced Courses - [Understanding Data Ethics and AI](https://learning.theodi.org/courses/understanding-data-ethics-and-ai-self-paced) - [Strategic data skills](https://learning.theodi.org/courses/strategic-data-skills) - 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Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is increasingly used in web-based education — pulling trusted materials into generative answers. Transparency is too often treated as an ethical add-on. This short paper argues it should be architectural. Drawing on the design and deployment of SAGE-RAI, an advanced multi-purpose RAG system for learning, we set out design patterns for transparent RAG. Evaluation combined quantitative ratings (n=26, mean 4.62/5) with qualitative interviews (n=4). Learners were highly satisfied (92.3% rated 4–5 stars), while also highlighting tensions between AI assistance and learning independence. As RAG systems mediate more of how people reach web-based knowledge, the paper makes the case that transparency has both pedagogical and ethical work to do — and needs to be built in from the start. ## Publication details Kwarteng, J.; Third, A.; Mikroyannidis, A.; Tarrant, D. and Domingue, J. (2026). *SAGE-RAI: Design Patterns for Transparent RAG Systems.* In: WWW ’26: Proceedings of the ACM on Web Conference 2026, pp. 8641–8644. [Download the published version (PDF)](https://oro.open.ac.uk/108348/) · [View on ACM / DOI](https://doi.org/10.1145/3774904.3792929) · [SAGE-RAI publications](https://sage-rai.kmi.open.ac.uk/outputs/) ## Continue your learning See how ODI learning connects data, AI and trustworthy practice on our [courses](https://learning.theodi.org/courses). 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