Handling Conflicting Data Sources
CorePreserve information provenance and handle uncertainty in multi-source synthesis · Difficulty 3/5
Explanation
When multiple credible sources contain contradictory information, agents must handle the conflict appropriately rather than arbitrarily choosing one.
Correct Approach
- Preserve both values: Include both conflicting figures in the analysis
- Annotate explicitly: Mark the conflict with source attribution
- Defer reconciliation: Let the appropriate authority (coordinator or human) decide
- Complete the task: Don't halt analysis -- continue processing with the conflict noted
Temporal Awareness
Require publication/collection dates in structured outputs. What looks like a contradiction may actually be temporal change:
- Source A (2023): Revenue $10M
- Source B (2024): Revenue $15M
Without dates, these appear contradictory. With dates, they show growth.
Anti-Patterns
- Choosing one value: The agent lacks broader context for credibility judgments
- Halting analysis: Wastes completed work and blocks the pipeline
- Hiding the conflict: Downstream consumers can't assess reliability
Coverage Annotations
When operating with incomplete data (e.g., some sources timed out), annotate which findings are well-supported vs. which areas have gaps. This enables graceful degradation with transparency.
Key Takeaways
- Preserve conflicting data with source attribution; don't choose one
- Continue processing (don't halt) but annotate the conflict
- Include publication dates to distinguish temporal changes from contradictions
Related Concepts
Test Yourself
1 / 3The web search agent and document analysis agent return contradictory market size figures from equally credible sources — $4.2B from an industry report and $6.8B from a government database. How should the synthesis agent handle this?