# Credible Plan-Driven RAG Method for Multi-Hop Question Answering Source: [Credible Plan-Driven RAG Method for Multi-Hop Question Answering]() Collection index: [llms.txt]() Data updated: 2026-01-14T05:00:12.519Z Authors: Ningning Zhang, Chi Zhang, Zhizhong Tan, Xingxing Yang, Weiping Deng, Wenyong Wang Published: 2025-04-23T15:03:17.000Z ## Abstract Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) has demonstrated strong performance in single-hop question answering (QA) by integrating external knowledge into large language models (LLMs). However, its effectiveness remains limited in multi-hop QA, which demands both stable reasoning and factual consistency. Existing approaches often provide partial solutions, addressing either reasoning trajectory stability or factual verification, but rarely achieving both simultaneously. To bridge this gap, we propose PAR-RAG, a three-stage Plan-then-Act-and-Review framework inspired by the PDCA cycle. PAR-RAG incorporates semantic complexity as a unifying principle through three key components: (i) complexity-aware exemplar selection guides plan generation by aligning decomposition granularity with question difficulty, thereby stabilizing reasoning trajectories; (ii) execution follows a structured retrieve-then-read process; and (iii) dual verification identifies and corrects intermediate errors while dynamically adjusting verification strength based on question complexity: emphasizing accuracy for simple queries and multi-evidence consistency for complex ones. This cognitively inspired framework integrates theoretical grounding with practical robustness. Experiments across diverse benchmarks demonstrate that PAR-RAG consistently outperforms competitive baselines, while ablation studies confirm the complementary roles of complexity-aware planning and dual verification. Collectively, these results establish PAR-RAG as a robust and generalizable framework for reliable multi-hop reasoning. ## Recorded benchmark results A research result applies to its stated dataset, split, metric and evaluation configuration. Compare like-for-like settings, preserve the metric's unit and direction, and distinguish paper-reported results from independent reproduction. The best result recorded here is not a claim of exhaustive, current global coverage. - [Multi-hop Question Answering on HotpotQA l1](): Multi-hop Question Answering; HotpotQA l1; Cost per Pass: 0.39. - [Multi-hop Question Answering on 2WikiMultiHopQA l2](): Multi-hop Question Answering; 2WikiMultiHopQA l2; Cost per Pass: 0.43. - [Multi-hop Question Answering on MusiQue l3](): Multi-hop Question Answering; MusiQue l3; Cost: 1.14. - [Multi-hop Question Answering on Average (HotpotQA, 2WikiMultiHopQA, MusiQue) (Cost/Efficiency)](): Multi-hop Question Answering; HotpotQA, 2WikiMultiHopQA, and MusiQue Average all; Cost per Pass: 0.65. ## Original sources and implementation [Original paper]() [PDF]()