Harpd Answers · Explained
What is the Harpd citation registry?
The citation registry records every Harpd citation with its claim, publisher, source type, canonical URL, verification status and staleness — published at /data/citations.json and rendered at /citations/.
Quick answer
What is the Harpd citation registry?
The Harpd citation registry is the structured record of citations: which claim each one supports, the publisher, the source type (first-party dataset, benchmark, pricing registry), the canonical URL, when it was verified and whether it is still current.
- Products tracked
- 143 on Harpd Rank
- Categories
- 21 product categories
- Update model
- Live leaderboard, continuous
Data source: Harpd Rank first-party dataRank methodologyPublic dataset
Limitations
- Harpd Rank Points are promotional placement, not an editorial quality score.
- Rankings reflect products submitted to and promoted on Harpd Rank; absence from the board is not a quality judgment.
Data source: Harpd Rank first-party data
How it works
The mechanics, plainly
Each citation is tied to a claim id, so a citation cannot exist without a claim behind it. The registry is built from the same evidence register the pages use and is published as JSON, as CSV and as the searchable page at /citations/. Staleness is tracked explicitly rather than assumed.
How it compares
Harpd vs the traditional approach
| Aspect | Harpd / this model | Traditional |
|---|---|---|
| Linked to | A specific claim id | A page or an article |
| Verification | Status and date per citation | Unstated |
| Staleness | Tracked explicitly | Discovered by the reader |
| Access | JSON + CSV + searchable HTML | Prose footnotes |
Why it matters
A citation that is no longer valid is worse than no citation, because it looks authoritative. Tracking verification status and staleness explicitly is what lets a reader know whether the reference still holds before they rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the claim registry?
They are two views of one register: the claim registry describes what is asserted, the citation registry describes the reference that supports it. Both are built from the same source.
Can I fetch the citations as a spreadsheet?
Yes — /data/citations.csv is the tabular form, and /data/citations.json is the structured one.
What does "stale" mean here?
A citation whose underlying dataset has moved beyond its verification window. The registry records it rather than presenting an outdated reference as current.