Independent Source Triangulation
Updated 2026-08-13
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A verification standard from journalism, law, and intelligence work: a fact is treated as established only when confirmed by at least two sources that do not derive from each other. The core proposition is that agreement among genuinely independent sources carries far more evidential weight than agreement among sources sharing a common origin. The qualification is independence rather than count, since ten outlets citing one wire service are one source rather than ten. It is the basic discipline for resisting misinformation and confirmation bias.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Independence test: trace each source back to its origin before counting it as a separate source. - Agreement check: treat convergence among genuinely independent sources as the bar for acceptance. - Conflict log: record and investigate contradictions instead of silently averaging them away.
Anchor fast decisions
Independent sources fail for different reasons, so the chance that all of them produce the same error is small. Agreement therefore raises confidence sharply, while agreement among sources sharing an origin provides no additional evidence at all. Checking provenance is what separates genuine corroboration from the appearance of it.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation_(social_scienceverified
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