R0050/2026-03-31/Q002/SRC07/E01

Research	R0050 — Journalism and Other Truth-Seeking Disciplines
Run	2026-03-31
Query	Q002
Source	SRC07
Evidence	SRC07-E01
Type	Analytical

Historical source criticism contributes the authentication-before-evaluation principle and the internal/external criticism distinction.

URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_criticism

Extract

Source criticism (formalized by Leopold von Ranke, 1795-1886) establishes:

Two-phase methodology:

1. External criticism: Establish document genuineness (authorship, date, origin, physical form) — a negative/gating function preventing use of false evidence
2. Internal criticism: Evaluate content truthfulness only after authentication — the positive function of properly using authenticated evidence

Seven-step classical framework (Bernheim 1889; Langlois & Seignobos 1898):

1. Corroboration: If sources agree, event is provisionally proved
2. Critical override: Agreement alone insufficient without critical examination
3. Partial confirmation: External verification of some details lends credibility to unconfirmed sections
4. Authority prioritization: Expert/eyewitness accounts preferred
5. Eyewitness preference: Direct observation preferred
6. Independent reinforcement: Independent agreement strengthens reliability
7. Common sense arbitration: When sources conflict irresolvably, most reasonable account selected

Novel concept assessment: The authentication-before-evaluation principle (external criticism must pass before internal criticism begins) is a formal gating mechanism not explicitly present in the nine frameworks. GRADE evaluates study quality; ROBIS audits process. Neither has a formal "is this source genuine?" step that must pass before content evaluation begins. This is analogous to legal admissibility but for a different reason — authenticity rather than procedural fairness.

The seven-step framework's substance is mostly captured: corroboration (IPCC source agreement), authority weighting (GRADE reliability), independent reinforcement (IPCC independence assessment).

Relevance to Hypotheses

Hypothesis	Relationship	Strength
H1	Supports	Authentication-before-evaluation is a modestly novel concept
H2	Contradicts	A novel concept exists
H3	Supports	Source criticism contributes one specific novel concept while its broader framework is mostly captured

Context

Source criticism is the oldest formal evidence evaluation methodology examined in this query, predating all nine frameworks by over a century. Its core insight — that document authenticity and content truthfulness are separate evaluations — is implicit in modern research but not formalized as a gating step.