The information provided by local and intermediaries was of potential importance to geographical science. How was this evidence judged? The formal procedures of scientific evaluation provided one framework. Alongside there were more 'common sense' notions of veracity and reliability, religiously-inspired judgments about the authenticity of testimony, and the routine procedures for cross-checking empirical observations developed in many professions.
这是一篇介绍隐藏在探险家背后的本地向导有什么作用的文章。
其中这一段,词语的意思我都大致清楚了,但我没读懂从“ The formal procedures……”开始到结尾的这个句子,为什么这能解释local提供的信息对地理科学有潜在的重要性呢?请帮忙解释一下这一段的主题?