Source independence

Two websites can publish separate articles while relying on the same interview, press release, screenshot, or anonymous claim. Their domains differ, but the evidence behind the shared assertion may be identical. Independence is therefore a relationship you investigate, not a label supplied by a source count. Follow links and compare attributed statements. In your notes, mark the common source and distinguish genuinely additional observations from repeated wording. Independence is also claim-specific: an article may repeat a launch date but independently report a user's experience. Do not discard dependent sources altogether; they can show reception or interpretation. Simply avoid treating repetition as new corroboration. A small source map can reveal why a widely repeated origin story rests on one uncertain recollection and where a new primary artifact would make the greatest difference.

Editorial review: 2026-09-23. New evidence may change this account.

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