| Experience shows that information (or
| |
| | many years than others. A data type
|
| evidence) found in genealogical sources
| |
| | especially prone to recollection errors
|
| can be unreliable. To evaluate
| |
| | is dates. Also the ability to recall is
|
| reliability of genealogical information
| |
| | affected by the significance that the
|
| one must consider the following: the
| |
| | event had to the individual. These values
|
| knowledge, bias and mental state of the
| |
| | may have been affected by cultural or
|
| informant; the passage of time; the
| |
| | individual preferences.
|
| potential for copying and compiling
| |
| | Copying and compiling errors
|
| errors; and the type of information.
| |
| | Genealogists must consider the effects
|
| Knowledge of the informant
| |
| | that copying and compiling errors may
|
| The informant is the individual who
| |
| | have had on the information in a source.
|
| provided the recorded information.
| |
| | For this purpose, sources are generally
|
| Genealogists must carefully consider who
| |
| | categorized in two categories: original
|
| provided the information and what he or
| |
| | and derivative. A derivative source is
|
| she knew. In many cases the informant is
| |
| | information taken from another source. An
|
| identified in the record itself. For
| |
| | original is one that is not based on
|
| example, a death certificate usually has
| |
| | another source. Each time a source is
|
| two informants: a physician who provides
| |
| | copied, information about the record may
|
| information about the time and cause of
| |
| | be lost and errors may creep in from the
|
| death and a family member who provides
| |
| | copyist misreading, mistyping, or
|
| the birth date, names of parents etc.
| |
| | miswriting the information. Genealogists
|
| When the informant is not identified, one
| |
| | should consider the number of times
|
| can sometimes deduce information about
| |
| | information has been copied and the types
|
| the identity of the person by careful
| |
| | of derivation a piece of information has
|
| examination of the source. One should
| |
| | undergone. The types of derivatives
|
| first consider who was alive (and nearby)
| |
| | include: photocopies, transcriptions,
|
| when the record was created. When the
| |
| | abstracts, translations, extractions, and
|
| informant is also the person recording
| |
| | compilations.
|
| the information, the handwriting can be
| |
| | In addition to copying errors, compiled
|
| compared to other handwriting samples.
| |
| | sources (such as published genealogies
|
| When a source does not provide clues
| |
| | and online pedigree databases) are
|
| about the informant, genealogists should
| |
| | susceptible to misidentification errors
|
| treat the source with caution. These
| |
| | and incorrect conclusions based on
|
| sources can be useful if they can be
| |
| | circumstantial evidence. Identity errors
|
| compared with independent sources. For
| |
| | usually occur when two or more
|
| example, a census record by itself cannot
| |
| | individuals are assumed to be the same
|
| be given much weight because the
| |
| | person. Circumstantial or indirect is
|
| informant is unknown. However, when
| |
| | evidence that does not explicitly answer
|
| censuses for several years concur on a
| |
| | a genealogical question, but either may
|
| piece of information that would not
| |
| | be used with other sources to answer the
|
| likely be guessed by a neighbor, it is
| |
| | question, suggest a probable answer, or
|
| likely that the information in these
| |
| | eliminate certain possibilities. Compiled
|
| censuses was provided by a family member
| |
| | sources sometimes draw hasty conclusions
|
| or other informed person. On the other
| |
| | from circumstantial evidence without
|
| hand, information in a single census
| |
| | sufficiently examining all available
|
| cannot be confirmed by information in an
| |
| | sources, without properly understanding
|
| undocumented compiled genealogy since the
| |
| | the evidence, and without appropriately
|
| genealogy may have used the census record
| |
| | indicating the level of uncertainty.
|
| as its source and might therefore be
| |
| | The "maximum relationship"
|
| dependent on the same misinformed
| |
| | One of the aims in professional genealogy
|
| individual.
| |
| | circles has been to determine the maximum
|
| Bias and mental state of the informant
| |
| | degree of separation which currently
|
| Even individuals who had knowledge of the
| |
| | exists between all people in the world.
|
| fact, sometimes intentionally or
| |
| | That is to say, how many generations back
|
| unintentionally provided false or
| |
| | is the first common ancestor that the two
|
| misleading information. A person may lie
| |
| | most distantly related people on earth
|
| in order to obtain a government benefit
| |
| | share.
|
| (such as a military pension), avoid
| |
| | Latest models, taking into account sexual
|
| taxation, or cover up an embarrassing
| |
| | differentiation, monogamy and realistic
|
| situation (such as the existence of a
| |
| | migration patterns suggest that the most
|
| non-marital child). A person with a
| |
| | recent common ancestor (MRCA) of all
|
| distressed state of mind may not be able
| |
| | humans probably lived 75-150 generations
|
| to accurately recall information. Many
| |
| | or 2000-4000 years ago. Moreover, the
|
| genealogical records were recorded at the
| |
| | MRCA is likely to have lived somewhere in
|
| time of a loved one's death, and so
| |
| | Southeast Asia (increasing the likelihood
|
| genealogists should consider the effect
| |
| | of his or her descendants reaching the
|
| that grief may have had on the informant
| |
| | remote islands of the Pacific), is
|
| of these records.
| |
| | equally likely to be a man or woman, and
|
| The effect of time
| |
| | is not characterized by an unusually
|
| The passage of time often affects a
| |
| | large number of children. These models
|
| person's ability to recall information.
| |
| | also show that while a large group
|
| Therefore, as a general rule, data
| |
| | (indeed all humans) share recent common
|
| recorded soon after the event is usually
| |
| | ancestors, a given person is likely to
|
| more reliable than data recorded many
| |
| | share the vast majority of his or her
|
| years later. However, different types of
| |
| | genes with a very small local group.
|
| data are more difficult to recall after
| |
| |
|
