# Engineering the RAG Stack: A Comprehensive Review of the Architecture and Trust Frameworks for Retrieval-Augmented Generation Systems

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.05264 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.05264/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in RAG pipeline design and evaluation, one of 15 directions in Retrieval-augmented generation.
- First posted on arXiv 7 Nov 2025.

## Placed in

- Retrieval-augmented generation / [RAG pipeline design and evaluation](https://mlsanity.com/rag/rag-pipeline-design-and-evaluation/)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [SIFT: Selective-Index For Fast Compute of RAG Prefill by Exploiting Attention Invariance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.09441/) (2026)
- [Distilling Reasoning Without Knowledge: A Framework for Reliable LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.14458/) (2026)
- [RAG-Safety-Bench: Reliable Evaluation of Retrieval-Augmented LLM Safety](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.11758/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This article provides a comprehensive systematic literature review of academic studies, industrial applications, and real-world deployments from 2018 to 2025, providing a practical guide and detailed overview of modern Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures. RAG offers a modular approach for integrating external knowledge without increasing the capacity of the model as LLM systems expand. Research and engineering practices have been fragmented as a result of the increasing diversity of RAG methodologies, which encompasses a variety of fusion mechanisms, retrieval strategies, and orchestration approaches. We provide quantitative assessment frameworks, analyze the implications for trust and alignment, and systematically consolidate existing RAG techniques into a unified taxonomy. This document is a practical framework for the deployment of resilient, secure, and domain-adaptable RAG systems, synthesizing insights from academic literature, industry reports, and technical implementation guides. It also functions as a technical reference.