Vector Search, Graph Traversal, or Both? Choose by the Question

Retrieval methods should be selected according to the evidence a question requires: vector search suits semantic similarity, graph traversal supports explicit and reliable relationships, and hybrid approaches address questions involving both. Before choosing an index, teams should define the expected answer and supporting evidence, verify that graph identities and edges are current and trustworthy, preserve provenance, and distinguish source-stated relationships from inferred ones. Hybrid retrieval can either identify semantic candidates before traversing relationships or apply graph constraints before ranking documents, but each stage should be traced to prevent relevant evidence from being filtered out. Authorization must apply across all retrieved entities and documents, while evaluation should separately measure similarity, relationship, and mixed-query performance for correctness, evidence quality, empty results, latency, and operational effort.

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