diff --git a/DOCS.md b/DOCS.md
index 57f742dc..a75b044a 100644
--- a/DOCS.md
+++ b/DOCS.md
@@ -89,14 +89,15 @@ The reverse geocoding endpoint; matches a point on the planet to the name of tha
 * `details` (default: `true`)
 
 
-## /doc
+## /place
 
-The endpoint for retrieving one or more elasticsearch documents with specific ids.
+The endpoint for retrieving one or more places with specific ids. These correspond
+directly with Elasticsearch documents.
 
 #### Required Parameters
 * one of `id` or `ids`
   * `id`:
-    * unique id of the document to be retrieved
+    * unique id of the places to be retrieved
     * should be in the form of type:id, for example: `geoname:4163334`
   * `ids`:
-    * if multiple docs are to be fetched in bulk, an array of ids
+    * if multiple places are to be fetched in bulk, an array of ids
diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index c0b72610..ccdd5116 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ app.use( require('./middleware/jsonp') );
 /** ----------------------- sanitisers ----------------------- **/
 
 var sanitisers = {};
-sanitisers.doc      = require('./sanitiser/doc');
+sanitisers.place      = require('./sanitiser/place');
 sanitisers.suggest  = require('./sanitiser/suggest');
 sanitisers.search   = require('./sanitiser/search');
 sanitisers.coarse   = require('./sanitiser/coarse');
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ sanitisers.reverse  = require('./sanitiser/reverse');
 
 var controllers     = {};
 controllers.index   = require('./controller/index');
-controllers.doc     = require('./controller/doc');
+controllers.place     = require('./controller/place');
 controllers.search  = require('./controller/search');
 
 /** ----------------------- routes ----------------------- **/
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ controllers.search  = require('./controller/search');
 // api root
 app.get( '/', controllers.index() );
 
-// doc API
-app.get( '/doc', sanitisers.doc.middleware, controllers.doc() );
+// place API
+app.get( '/place', sanitisers.place.middleware, controllers.place() );
 
 // suggest APIs
 app.get( '/suggest', sanitisers.search.middleware, controllers.search() );
@@ -54,4 +54,4 @@ app.use( require('./middleware/404') );
 app.use( require('./middleware/408') );
 app.use( require('./middleware/500') );
 
-module.exports = app;
\ No newline at end of file
+module.exports = app;
diff --git a/controller/doc.js b/controller/place.js
similarity index 98%
rename from controller/doc.js
rename to controller/place.js
index 76e10c3e..42cb0069 100644
--- a/controller/doc.js
+++ b/controller/place.js
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
-
 var service = { mget: require('../service/mget') };
 var geojsonify = require('../helper/geojsonify').search;
 
 function setup( backend ){
-
   // allow overriding of dependencies
   backend = backend || require('../src/backend');
-  
+
   function controller( req, res, next ){
-    
     var query = req.clean.ids.map( function(id) {
       return {
         _index: 'pelias',
@@ -18,7 +15,6 @@ function setup( backend ){
     });
 
     service.mget( backend, query, function( err, docs ){
-
       // error handler
       if( err ){ return next( err ); }
 
@@ -30,9 +26,7 @@ function setup( backend ){
 
       // respond
       return res.status(200).json( geojson );
-
     });
-
   }
 
   return controller;
diff --git a/sanitiser/doc.js b/sanitiser/place.js
similarity index 99%
rename from sanitiser/doc.js
rename to sanitiser/place.js
index 07f07aa1..352777a6 100644
--- a/sanitiser/doc.js
+++ b/sanitiser/place.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 var _sanitize = require('../sanitiser/_sanitize'),
     sanitizers = {
       id: require('../sanitiser/_id'),
diff --git a/test/ciao/doc/msuccess.coffee b/test/ciao/place/msuccess.coffee
similarity index 68%
rename from test/ciao/doc/msuccess.coffee
rename to test/ciao/place/msuccess.coffee
index 56808be4..5c69eab1 100644
--- a/test/ciao/doc/msuccess.coffee
+++ b/test/ciao/place/msuccess.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
-#> valid doc query
-path: '/doc?id=geoname:4221195&id=geoname:4193595'
+#> valid place query
+path: '/place?id=geoname:4221195&id=geoname:4193595'
 
 #? 200 ok
 response.statusCode.should.equal 200
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ json.date.should.be.within now-5000, now+5000
 
 #? valid geojson
 json.type.should.equal 'FeatureCollection'
-json.features.should.be.instanceof Array
\ No newline at end of file
+json.features.should.be.instanceof Array
diff --git a/test/ciao/doc/success.coffee b/test/ciao/place/success.coffee
similarity index 72%
rename from test/ciao/doc/success.coffee
rename to test/ciao/place/success.coffee
index 3818aca6..d4fdea2b 100644
--- a/test/ciao/doc/success.coffee
+++ b/test/ciao/place/success.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
-#> valid doc query
-path: '/doc?id=geoname:4221195'
+#> valid place query
+path: '/place?id=geoname:4221195'
 
 #? 200 ok
 response.statusCode.should.equal 200
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ json.date.should.be.within now-5000, now+5000
 
 #? valid geojson
 json.type.should.equal 'FeatureCollection'
-json.features.should.be.instanceof Array
\ No newline at end of file
+json.features.should.be.instanceof Array
diff --git a/test/unit/controller/doc.js b/test/unit/controller/place.js
similarity index 97%
rename from test/unit/controller/doc.js
rename to test/unit/controller/place.js
index 0bab18f2..9fe9115a 100644
--- a/test/unit/controller/doc.js
+++ b/test/unit/controller/place.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-
-var setup = require('../../../controller/doc'),
+var setup = require('../../../controller/place'),
     mockBackend = require('../mock/backend');
 
 module.exports.tests = {};
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
 // functionally test controller (backend success)
 module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
 
-  // expected geojson features for 'client/doc/ok/1' fixture
+  // expected geojson features for 'client/place/ok/1' fixture
   var expected = [{
     type: 'Feature',
     geometry: {
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
       text: 'test name2, city2, state2'
     }
   }];
-  
+
   test('functional success (with details)', function(t) {
     var backend = mockBackend( 'client/mget/ok/1', function( cmd ){
       t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { docs: [ { _id: 123, _index: 'pelias', _type: 'a' } ] } }, 'correct backend command');
@@ -141,4 +140,4 @@ module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
   for( var testCase in module.exports.tests ){
     module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
   }
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/test/unit/run.js b/test/unit/run.js
index 75051927..96e146cf 100644
--- a/test/unit/run.js
+++ b/test/unit/run.js
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@ var common = {};
 
 var tests = [
   require('./controller/index'),
-  require('./controller/doc'),
+  require('./controller/place'),
   require('./controller/search'),
   require('./service/mget'),
   require('./service/search'),
   require('./sanitiser/suggest'),
   require('./sanitiser/search'),
   require('./sanitiser/reverse'),
-  require('./sanitiser/doc'),
+  require('./sanitiser/place'),
   require('./sanitiser/coarse'),
   require('./query/indeces'),
   require('./query/sort'),
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@ var tests = [
 
 tests.map(function(t) {
   t.all(tape, common);
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitiser/doc.js b/test/unit/sanitiser/place.js
similarity index 96%
rename from test/unit/sanitiser/doc.js
rename to test/unit/sanitiser/place.js
index c44f8808..03456765 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitiser/doc.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitiser/place.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 
-var doc  = require('../../../sanitiser/doc'),
-    _sanitize = doc.sanitize,
-    middleware = doc.middleware,
+var place  = require('../../../sanitiser/place'),
+    _sanitize = place.sanitize,
+    middleware = place.middleware,
     indeces = require('../../../query/indeces'),
     delimiter = ':',
     defaultLengthError = function(input) { return 'invalid param \''+ input + '\': text length, must be >0'; },
     defaultFormatError = 'invalid: must be of the format type:id for ex: \'geoname:4163334\'',
     defaultError = 'invalid param \'id\': text length, must be >0',
-    defaultMissingTypeError = function(input) { 
+    defaultMissingTypeError = function(input) {
       var type = input.split(delimiter)[0];
       return type + ' is invalid. It must be one of these values - [' + indeces.join(', ') + ']'; },
     defaultClean = { ids: [ { id: '123', type: 'geoname' } ], details: true },
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize_details = function(test, common) {
         t.equal(clean.details, false, 'default details set (to false)');
         t.end();
       });
-    });  
+    });
   });
 
   var valid_values = ['true', true, 1];
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize_details = function(test, common) {
         t.equal(clean.details, true, 'details set to true');
         t.end();
       });
-    });  
+    });
   });
 
   var valid_false_values = ['false', false, 0];
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize_details = function(test, common) {
         t.equal(clean.details, false, 'details set to false');
         t.end();
       });
-    }); 
+    });
   });
 
   test('test default behavior', function(t) {
@@ -190,10 +190,10 @@ module.exports.tests.middleware_success = function(test, common) {
 module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
 
   function test(name, testFunction) {
-    return tape('SANTIZE /doc ' + name, testFunction);
+    return tape('SANTIZE /place ' + name, testFunction);
   }
 
   for( var testCase in module.exports.tests ){
     module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
   }
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};