How we make rankings

Every index on this site follows the same three rules. They exist because the web is full of “Top 10 Korea” lists that are really one writer's afternoon, and the point of this site is to be the opposite of that.

1. 1. Every index declares where its data comes from

   There are exactly two kinds of index here. Visitor-rated indexes are built from ratings collected on this site — they start empty, and the ranking stays closed until enough qualifying responses exist. Statistics-based indexes repackage official published data — the ranking is the measurement, and the source is cited on the index's own methodology page.

2. 2. There is no third kind

   No index on this site is an editor's opinion arranged into a list. Topics we would love to rank but have no trustworthy data for — local restaurants are the obvious one — simply do not become indexes until a real source exists. A gap in the catalogue is honest; a made-up ranking is not.

3. 3. Every index shows its work, including its limits

   Each index has its own methodology page with the formula, the sample or source, and — just as important — what the data cannot tell you. If a ranking is not open yet, the page says what number unlocks it and how far along we are.