{
  "altLabels": [
    "Score Normalisation",
    "Score Scaling"
  ],
  "definition": "A method for transforming scores from one or more retrieval or ranking systems onto a scale intended to make them comparable or combinable.",
  "distinctions": [
    {
      "reason": "Score normalization may be used inside a hybrid retrieval system, but hybrid retrieval is the broader combination of retrieval signals.",
      "statement": "Score Normalization is not Hybrid Retrieval.",
      "target": "hybrid-retrieval",
      "targetLabel": "Hybrid Retrieval",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/hybrid-retrieval/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "RRF combines rank positions and avoids relying on comparable raw scores; score normalization transforms numerical scores.",
      "statement": "Score Normalization is not Reciprocal Rank Fusion.",
      "target": "reciprocal-rank-fusion",
      "targetLabel": "Reciprocal Rank Fusion",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/reciprocal-rank-fusion/"
    },
    {
      "reason": "Score normalization prepares scores for comparison or combination; score fusion combines the normalized or calibrated scores.",
      "statement": "Score Normalization is not Score Fusion.",
      "target": "score-fusion",
      "targetLabel": "Score Fusion",
      "targetUri": "https://id.searchplex.net/score-fusion/"
    }
  ],
  "id": "score-normalization",
  "kind": "Method",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/",
  "links": [
    {
      "label": "An Analysis of Fusion Functions for Hybrid Retrieval",
      "type": "canonicalSurvey",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.11934"
    },
    {
      "label": "Hybrid search depends on query type",
      "type": "officialHomepage",
      "url": "https://hornet.dev/blog/100m-doc-search-part-3-hybrid-search"
    }
  ],
  "modifiedAt": "2026-09-14T06:43:46Z",
  "prefLabel": "Score Normalization",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "Searchplex",
    "url": "https://searchplex.net/"
  },
  "relations": [
    {
      "note": "Score normalization may be used inside a hybrid retrieval system, but hybrid retrieval is the broader combination of retrieval signals.",
      "target": "hybrid-retrieval",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "RRF combines rank positions and avoids relying on comparable raw scores; score normalization transforms numerical scores.",
      "target": "reciprocal-rank-fusion",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "note": "Score normalization prepares scores for comparison or combination; score fusion combines the normalized or calibrated scores.",
      "target": "score-fusion",
      "type": "notEquivalentTo"
    },
    {
      "target": "hybrid-retrieval",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "rank-fusion",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "reciprocal-rank-fusion",
      "type": "related"
    },
    {
      "target": "score-fusion",
      "type": "related"
    }
  ],
  "representations": {
    "html": "https://id.searchplex.net/score-normalization/",
    "json": "https://id.searchplex.net/score-normalization.json",
    "jsonld": "https://id.searchplex.net/score-normalization.jsonld"
  },
  "scheme": "https://id.searchplex.net/scheme/",
  "scopeNote": "Score normalization is commonly used before weighted score fusion in hybrid retrieval. It is a score-preparation step, not the fusion method itself, and it is distinct from rank-based methods such as Reciprocal Rank Fusion.",
  "status": "published",
  "terms": [
    {
      "community": "industry",
      "label": "Linear Normalization",
      "usage": "nearSynonym"
    },
    {
      "community": "academic",
      "label": "Min-Max Normalization",
      "usage": "nearSynonym"
    },
    {
      "community": "academic",
      "label": "Z-Score Normalization",
      "usage": "nearSynonym"
    }
  ],
  "uri": "https://id.searchplex.net/score-normalization/"
}