# Interpretation of the Haddock results HADDOCK **URL:** \ **Category:** HADDOCK\ **Created:** [June 5, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983 "2018-06-05T18:05:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![leyra.vazquez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/71e660/32.png) [@leyra.vazquez](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/leyra.vazquez)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983/1 "2018-06-05T18:05:34Z")
Is there a list where I can read a description about each result? **HADDOCK score** -77.1 +/- 5.1 **Cluster size** 10 **RMSD from the overall lowest-energy structure** 4.9 +/- 0.2 **Van der Waals energy** -36.4 +/- 5.7 **Electrostatic energy** -302.1 +/- 39.9 **Desolvation energy** 16.9 +/- 4.0 **Restraints violation energy** 28.7 +/- 16.09 **Buried Surface Area** 1052.8 +/- 29.7 **Z-Score** ---
**Author:** ![amjjbonvin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/ask.bioexcel.eu/amjjbonvin/32/23_2.png) [@amjjbonvin](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/amjjbonvin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 7:26pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983/2 "2018-06-05T19:26:46Z")
Do you mean to understand the meaning of the various terms? I would refer to our HADDOCK web server papers (Nature Protocol 2010 and JMB 2016) and also consult the online HADDOCK manual pages at [http://www.bonvinlab.org/software/haddock2.2/manual/](http://www.bonvinlab.org/software/haddock2.2/manual/) and refer also to our online tutorials at [http://www.bonvinlab.org/education](http://www.bonvinlab.org/education) ---
**Author:** ![lanselibai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@lanselibai](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/lanselibai)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 11:25pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983/4 "2021-08-22T23:25:18Z")
Can I follow this thread? This link tells us the calculation for HADDOCK score > **[HADDOCK2.2 scoring function](https://www.bonvinlab.org/software/haddock2.2/scoring/)** Is that correct that the displayed “HADDOCK score” in the final cluster result refers to “HADDOCKscore-water”? For Z-Score, it **indicates how many standard deviations from the average this cluster is located in terms of score (the more negative the better).** I think this Z-Score only refers to the “spreading” of the structures within a cluster. Why Z-Score is used to rank the cluster? ---
**Author:** ![amjjbonvin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/ask.bioexcel.eu/amjjbonvin/32/23_2.png) [@amjjbonvin](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/amjjbonvin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 4:03pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983/5 "2021-08-23T16:03:20Z")
The z-score is calculated based on the cluster averages and thus does not reflect the spread within a cluster It is only a statistical measure of where a cluster sits with respects to the average score of all clusters By definition the top ranked cluster will always have the most negative z-score. ---
**Author:** ![lanselibai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@lanselibai](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/lanselibai)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983/6 "2021-08-23T17:45:03Z")
Thank you. Can I ask the equation for the z-score? I found it difficult to understand **how many standard deviations from the average this cluster is located in terms of score**. I can see the “HADDOCK score” is also ranked from low to high. So whether “HADDOCK score” or “z-score” is better to indicate the binding affinity? ---
**Author:** ![amjjbonvin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/ask.bioexcel.eu/amjjbonvin/32/23_2.png) [@amjjbonvin](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/amjjbonvin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 6:28pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983/7 "2021-08-23T18:28:45Z")
We use the Haddock score to select clusters, but it is not a proxy for binding affinity ---
**Author:** ![lanselibai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@lanselibai](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/lanselibai)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983/8 "2021-08-24T15:42:36Z")
Thanks, so “binding affinity” is not a proper phrase to interpret the “Haddock score”. Can I ask what could be the proper physiochemical phrase to best describe “Haddock score”? e.g. binding energy? I tried to look for a suitable one through the paper and manual. It sounds like this: **The residues with lower “Haddock score” are the ones most likely to have NMR chemical shift perturbation when binding.** Is that correct? ---
**Author:** ![amjjbonvin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/ask.bioexcel.eu/amjjbonvin/32/23_2.png) [@amjjbonvin](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/amjjbonvin)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2021, 7:36am UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/interpretation-of-the-haddock-results-haddock/983/9 "2021-09-13T07:36:42Z")
I would not write that. The fact that residues are in contact can explain the NMR chemical shifts. But if you want more quantitative analysis check: - D. Stratman, R. Boelens and A.M.J.J. Bonvin [Quantitative use of chemical shifts for the modelling of protein complexes.](https://doi.org/doi:10.1002/prot.23090) _Proteins: Struc. Funct. & Bioinformatic_ , _79_ , 2662-2670 (2011).