Question #3, from the Ancestry
Research Poll, How many primary sources do you have for people in your
tree?
Having sources for every person in your tree is important
because it helps prove that a person belongs in your tree, based on proven
relationships. The next step is to help
prove that the information you have for the person is correct for important
life events: such as birth, marriage, and death.
What is a Primary Source?
It is a document that provides information about the
ancestor that was written at or near the time of an event, such as a birth or
death certificate. A birth certificate
would have primary information about the birth.
A last will and testament, is written by the person and records
information that is taking place at that time.
Family letters are another great source of primary information when
information is being recorded about current events.
What are Mixed
Sources?
They are documents that have both primary and secondary
information such as a social security application that was filled out by the
ancestor. Death certificates record
primary information about death, but the birth information would be considered
secondary information, because that event took place a long time ago (unless this
is a still born or baby).
Can you prove your
person belongs in your tree without Primary Sources?
Yes, you can do this with a variety of documents that lists
multiple people within a family such as a census record, a birth or obituary
announcement, military records, etc. All
these documents can contain information about a person and someone close in
relationship to them.
Can you prove the
events and dates of a person are correct without Primary Sources?
This depends entirely on where the information came from and
who recorded the details. A person can
use a death certificate to record birth information and most likely it will be
correct. The same goes for an obituary.
First Hand vs. Second
Hand Knowledge
Who provided the information, someone who was at the event
is considered to have firsthand knowledge.
If someone who was told about the event, at a later time, is considered
second hand knowledge. Distinguishing
the difference is important, because someone who records the information at a
later time can make errors or embellish the facts. This can also happen with a person who has firsthand
knowledge.
Documents need to be Analyzed
That is why it is important to find as many documents as
possible to confirm information or help solve contradicting details. While conducting family tree
research, knowing what information is primary, who recorded the details,
and when were they recorded are all important.
Taking details and adding them to your family tree from documents that
are original, versus taking data from an indexed entry should be rated for
their accuracy and the details that they provide, as well as the relationships
that they can confirm.
