Source Triangulation (Multi-Source Verification)

Source triangulation verifies information by obtaining independent confirmation from at least three sources of different types—ideally human, documentary, and observational. The 'different types' requirement is crucial: three people telling you the same thing may draw from one original source, looking like independent confirmation but providing none. Experienced journalists distinguish direct knowledge from hearsay and check whether sources have motivations coloring their account. Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate reporting exemplified rigorous triangulation.

When to use it

When evaluating any consequential claim before acting on it. When conducting due diligence on investments, partnerships, or hires. When assessing news or intelligence where stakes of being wrong are high. When you have only one evidence type supporting an important conclusion.

How it can help

Source triangulation is the gold standard for establishing truth in uncertain information environments. Investors should triangulate management claims, financial filings, and industry data. Hiring managers should triangulate interviews, references, and work samples. The framework forces you to identify what type of evidence you have and what's missing. In the misinformation age, requiring multi-type confirmation prevents false confidence from volume of same-type confirmation.