When encountering conflicting data, what is the best practice?

• A. When conflicting data arises, corroborate with multiple independent sources and prioritize triangulation.
• B. When data conflicts, always discard all contradictory data.
• C. Always rely on the first piece of data found.
• D. Ignore data quality and proceed with assumptions.

Answer: (A)

When data conflicts, the best approach is to corroborate with multiple independent sources and use triangulation to form a confident, defensible conclusion. Gathering information from different origins—such as physical evidence, maintenance logs, flight data records, witness statements, and sensor readings—helps confirm what happened by showing where these sources agree. Independence reduces shared bias, and triangulation cross-checks data through multiple avenues, making the overall finding more reliable.

Discarding contradictory data or relying on the first piece of information, or proceeding with assumptions despite low data quality, undermines the integrity of the conclusions and can lead to incorrect or unsupported results.