1. A search authoring tool for mapping queries to assets for use in an information retrieval system, the search authoring tool comprising: a memory adapted to store processor-executable instructions that map queries to assets, the processor-executable instructions comprising: a query-to-asset mappings database of approved mappings built from search author input and user mappings; a search authoring engine receiving operator input and generating a plurality of pending query-to-asset mappings based on the received operator input; a search evaluation engine comparing a performance of a first runtime classifier built from the approved mappings against a second runtime classifier built from the mappings and the plurality of pending query-to-asset mappings to determine whether using the plurality of pending query-to-asset mappings causes performance degradation of the information retrieval system, the search evaluation engine comparing performance of the first runtime classifier built from the approved mappings against performance of the second runtime classifier by comparing performance of the first runtime classifier against the performance of a plurality of second runtime classifiers built from the approved mappings and a plurality of different subsets of the pending query-to-asset mappings to identify specific subsets of the pending query-to-asset mappings that cause the performance degradation, the search evaluation engine marking for removal at least one of the plurality of pending query-to-asset mappings based on a determination that the at least one of the plurality of pending query-to-asset mappings is in an identified specific subset of the pending query-to-asset mappings that causes performance degradation; and a processor coupled to the memory and being a functional part of the search authoring tool and being activated by the search authoring engine and the search evaluation engine to facilitate mapping queries to assets for use in an information retrieval system.