Methodology

How We Measure
Authority

Our index continuously processes billions of public signals across the web to derive a single, interpretable authority score for every entity we track, updated in real time.

Data Ingestion

Public Signal Collection

We continuously crawl and index publicly available data sources, including social media activity, academic publications, news coverage, citation networks, and community platforms. Each source is weighted differently based on its epistemic reliability and reach.

Raw signals are normalized across source types before entering the scoring pipeline, ensuring that a viral social post and a peer-reviewed paper are evaluated on a common interpretable scale.

  • Social media & community platforms
  • Academic papers & citation networks
  • News coverage & editorial mentions
Public Web
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Signal Extraction
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Embedding
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Authority Score
Authority Score
AS(e) = 1|Pe| · Σ σ(ri) · w(ti) · q(pi)
σ(r) sigmoid-normalized reaction score
w(t) temporal decay weight
q(p) source quality coefficient
Pe indexed publications for entity e
Temporal Decay
w(t) = e−λ(T−t)
Scoring Model

The Authority Formula

Each entity's authority score is computed as a weighted aggregate over their indexed publications. We apply sigmoid normalization to reaction signals, preventing outlier engagement events from dominating the score.

Scores are subject to temporal decay, where contributions from older publications diminish exponentially over time, ensuring the index reflects current relevance rather than historical volume. The decay rate λ is calibrated per domain.

Source quality coefficients q(p) are derived from domain-level credibility signals, peer-review indicators, and editorial independence assessments.

Reaction Signals

Authority Amplified by Community

When recognized authorities engage with, cite, or endorse a source, the signal carries significantly more weight than anonymous engagement. We model this as a directed graph: authority flows through the network, amplified by the credibility of those reacting.

This creates a self-reinforcing but bounded system, a source praised by high-authority entities receives a compounding boost, while unrecognized actors contribute only marginal signal mass.

R(e) = Σ AS(ui) · vi · δ(ci)where vi is interaction type weight, δ(c) is context relevance
9.47.88.1
High authority entityMid-tier entity
Authority Score Accumulation
t₀T0.50.81.0
Score convergence under continuous signal ingestion
Freshness & Decay

A Living Index

Authority is not a permanent attribute. Our index continuously re-evaluates every entity as new signals arrive, and penalizes dormancy. An entity that stops publishing or receiving engagement will see their score gradually revert toward the domain baseline.

The decay rate λ is domain-specific: academic authority is more durable than social media influence. We calibrate this empirically using historical signal density per vertical.

  • Real-time score updates as signals arrive
  • Domain-calibrated decay rates
  • Anomaly detection on score volatility

Access the Authority Index

Query authority scores for any indexed entity via our API.

Get API Access