{
  "altLabels": [
    "Multihop Retrieval"
  ],
  "definition": "A retrieval task or pattern in which satisfying an information need requires multiple dependent retrieval steps or evidence gathered across several linked pieces of information.",
  "derivedRelations": [
    {
      "target": "agentic-rag",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "browsecomp-plus",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "deep-research",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "hotpotqa",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "web-browsing-agent",
      "type": "related"
    }
  ],
  "distinctions": [
    {
      "reason": "Multi-hop retrieval is a retrieval pattern; agentic retrieval is the broader agent-controlled loop that may perform multi-hop retrieval.",
      "statement": "Multi-Hop Retrieval is not Agentic Retrieval.",
      "target": "agentic-retrieval",
      "targetLabel": "Agentic Retrieval",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/agentic-retrieval/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Multi-hop retrieval involves dependent evidence hops or subproblems; iterative retrieval is broader and includes any repeated retrieval attempts.",
      "statement": "Multi-Hop Retrieval is not Iterative Retrieval.",
      "target": "iterative-retrieval",
      "targetLabel": "Iterative Retrieval",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/iterative-retrieval/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Multi-hop retrieval uses multiple dependent retrieval steps or evidence hops; multi-stage ranking is a retrieval-system architecture with successive ranking stages.",
      "statement": "Multi-Hop Retrieval is not Multi-Stage Ranking.",
      "target": "multi-stage-ranking",
      "targetLabel": "Multi-Stage Ranking",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/multi-stage-ranking/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Retrieve-and-rerank retrieves a candidate set and then reranks it; multi-hop retrieval performs multiple dependent retrieval steps.",
      "statement": "Multi-Hop Retrieval is not Retrieve-and-Rerank.",
      "target": "retrieve-and-rerank",
      "targetLabel": "Retrieve-and-Rerank",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/retrieve-and-rerank/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Multi-hop retrieval uses multiple dependent retrieval steps or evidence hops; single-shot retrieval uses one query or retrieval attempt without dependent follow-up steps.",
      "statement": "Multi-Hop Retrieval is not Single-Shot Retrieval.",
      "target": "single-shot-retrieval",
      "targetLabel": "Single-Shot Retrieval",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/single-shot-retrieval/"
    }
  ],
  "id": "multi-hop-retrieval",
  "kind": "Task",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/",
  "links": [
    {
      "label": "HotpotQA",
      "type": "officialHomepage",
      "url": "https://hotpotqa.github.io/"
    },
    {
      "label": "Agentic Retrieval-Augmented Generation",
      "type": "canonicalSurvey",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.09136"
    }
  ],
  "modifiedAt": "2026-09-14T06:43:46Z",
  "prefLabel": "Multi-Hop Retrieval",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "Searchplex",
    "url": "https://searchplex.net/"
  },
  "relations": [
    {
      "target": "iterative-retrieval",
      "type": "broader"
    },
    {
      "note": "Multi-hop retrieval is a retrieval pattern; agentic retrieval is the broader agent-controlled loop that may perform multi-hop retrieval.",
      "target": "agentic-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Multi-hop retrieval involves dependent evidence hops or subproblems; iterative retrieval is broader and includes any repeated retrieval attempts.",
      "target": "iterative-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Multi-hop retrieval uses multiple dependent retrieval steps or evidence hops; multi-stage ranking is a retrieval-system architecture with successive ranking stages.",
      "target": "multi-stage-ranking",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Retrieve-and-rerank retrieves a candidate set and then reranks it; multi-hop retrieval performs multiple dependent retrieval steps.",
      "target": "retrieve-and-rerank",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Multi-hop retrieval uses multiple dependent retrieval steps or evidence hops; single-shot retrieval uses one query or retrieval attempt without dependent follow-up steps.",
      "target": "single-shot-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "target": "agentic-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "query-decomposition",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "question-answering",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "rag",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "retrieval-planning",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "single-shot-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    }
  ],
  "representations": {
    "html": "https://id.searchplex.net/multi-hop-retrieval/",
    "json": "https://id.searchplex.net/multi-hop-retrieval.json",
    "jsonld": "https://id.searchplex.net/multi-hop-retrieval.jsonld"
  },
  "scheme": "https://id.searchplex.net/scheme/",
  "scopeNote": "Multi-hop retrieval is common in complex question answering and agentic RAG, where one retrieved result can inform the next retrieval step. It is distinct from multi-stage ranking, which describes a staged ranking architecture, and from retrieve-and-rerank, which is a particular pipeline pattern.",
  "status": "published",
  "terms": [
    {
      "community": "industry",
      "label": "Multi-Step Retrieval",
      "usage": "nearSynonym"
    }
  ],
  "uri": "https://id.searchplex.net/multi-hop-retrieval/"
}