R0051/2026-03-31/Q001/SRC01/E01¶
Three deep-rooted epistemological challenges threatening fact-checking's epistemological basis.
URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1461670X.2025.2492729
Extract¶
Vandenberghe (2025) examines three deep-rooted challenges to fact-checking's epistemological basis, analyzing problems related to: (1) degrees of objectivism, (2) truth regimes, and (3) causal relations. The paper traces these across five aspects of fact-checking to identify where epistemological concerns originate and how they can be resolved. Critically, the paper frames these as open challenges — unsolved problems in the epistemology of fact-checking — rather than as problems addressed by existing frameworks.
The paper notes that "conventional fact-checking practices rely on epistemological assumptions that factual claims can be easily separated from interpretive or normative statements and that verification can proceed on the basis of clear empirical evidence, yet many contemporary forms of misinformation are embedded in value-laden narratives that elude simple factual correction."
Relevance to Hypotheses¶
| Hypothesis | Relationship | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| H1 | Contradicts | The paper's framing of epistemological challenges as unsolved problems implies no comprehensive framework exists |
| H2 | Supports | The paper itself constitutes an analytical epistemological framework — partial but not operationalized |
| H3 | Contradicts | The existence of this paper demonstrates active epistemological engagement |
Context¶
This is the most recent and directly relevant academic work on fact-checking epistemology. Its analytical rather than prescriptive nature is itself evidence — a leading scholar in 2025 is still analyzing the epistemological challenges rather than documenting established frameworks.
Notes¶
The paper was accessible only through search summaries due to paywall restrictions. The characterization of three challenges and five aspects is derived from multiple consistent search result descriptions.