E02¶


Research	R0051 — Fact-Checking Gap
Run	2026-03-31
Query	Q001
Source	SRC01
Evidence	SRC01-E02
Type	Analytical

Triangulation and source criticism as existing but informal verification methods.

URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1461670X.2025.2492729

Extract¶

Vandenberghe identifies triangulation and source criticism as existing verification methods used in fact-checking. Source criticism supplements triangulation by "investigating statements given from positions of authority." Together, they help "address the relationship between facts and values by considering different data and viewpoints through the standards of pragmatic objectivity."

These are described as practices — methods used in the field — rather than components of a formal framework. There is no hierarchical quality scale, no calibrated confidence language, and no structured protocol for applying them consistently.

Relevance to Hypotheses¶

Hypothesis	Relationship	Strength
H1	Contradicts	These methods lack the formalization found in GRADE/IPCC/ICD 203
H2	Supports	Confirms partial epistemological methods exist but are not formalized into frameworks
H3	Contradicts	Methods do exist, even if informal

Context¶

Triangulation and source criticism are well-established journalistic practices. Their characterization as ad hoc rather than systematic is consistent with the broader finding that fact-checking lacks formal evidence evaluation frameworks.