Sources - and documentation
All entries into a genealogy should be documented. Below is an explanation of primary and secondary resources. The goal of every genealogist is to access primary resources. Failing that, secondary resources are used with the hope that they will eventually lead to primary resources. There are many published genealogies with no sources for dates etc. These genealogies often are taken as truth and copied into other works. When you document your source, it adds validity to your work, and it also makes it easy to go back to the source later. When you have not yet found a primary source, this is an indication that additional research is needed.
I attach research for my Patout family which was based originally on old family genealogies and a marriage found at the right place but for the wrong person. It is a most interesting study.
This web page is not my original research. It is a compilation of genealogies of the members of the group. For my family line, documentation will show where I found my information, often from primary records of South West Virginia where my Chiles descendants lived.
When I enter information from members, they are given as the source even though they may have found their facts through primary sources. When I take someone's genealogy, I enter them as the source until I SEE the evidence. I have used the Internet and Ancestry.com for some entries. Yes, they should be viewed as suspect, but they can be road maps to finding the original records. To simply copy someone else's work will result in errors which will only compound themselves. I have made wonderful discoveries using someone else's work when it has directed me where to find the original records which has saved years of searching.
“There are two basic classifications of sources: Primary and secondary. Primary records are those created shortly after an event by someone having personal knowledge of the event. A birth certificate is an example of a primary source, or a family bible if the event is recorded soon afterwards by a witness. However, someone's old letter that has a birth date in it may not be reliable if it's written at a later time. Primary records are obviously the preferred sources for establishing historical facts.
“Secondary sources are generally compiled from primary sources or are written from memory long after the event (such as the letter example above). Other examples might be a published family history or summaries of censuses and marriages for a county. Secondary sources are very useful, but their validity could be questionable. So you'll need to examine the primary source if you want to be absolutely sure about a fact. Sometimes, however, a primary source may not be available. So you'll have to rely on the secondary source. An example of this is using the military pension file of your great-great grandfather for his birth date if no other birth record exists. Since he gave the date, there is some credibility for its accuracy.
“Just because a source is 'official' does not mean that a fact is correct, either. A great example of this is a death certificate that lists the person's birth date. The date of birth is usually obtained from someone's recollection, which might be fuzzy. The birth date could be correct, but its not direct evidence of the event, so its circumstantial and possibly suspect. The death certificate is, however, direct evidence of the death date, assuming the attending physician or relative has attested to the event, and should be considered accurate in that respect.”
http://genealogy.about.com/library/authors/ucbishop4a.htm
“ Research records are referred to as either "primary" (usually original documents) or "secondary" (those that are compiled or published based on original documents). Published family histories are considered clues for further research. Dates and places can be good indicators of locations to search for additional supporting information. Citing and documenting your research sources is very important and saves a lot of time later on. Sometimes you can get so wrapped up in the information you discover that you may forget to note the source. If the source has not been cited, you may end up checking the same source again at a later time. It also helps those researchers who follow you. Most importantly, documenting your sources supports the information and provides credibility.” – USGenWeb
There is also a degree of quality within secondary resources.
”Records: Primary and Secondary Resources
Explanation
In genealogy the records obtained during research are referred to as either "primary" or "secondary".
Primary records are usually original documents or copies of original documents. These records are considered the most reliable resources. Examples:
Secondary records are records that are compiled or published based on original documents. Examples:
Examples
Event |
Primary Source |
Secondary Source |
Birth |
Birth Certificate, Family Bible Entry |
Marriage License, Cemetery Transcription, Death Certificate, Funeral Home Record, Obituary |
Marriage |
Marriage License, Family Bible Entry |
Cemetery Transcription, Funeral Home Record, Obituary |
Death |
Death Certificate, Family Bible Entry |
Cemetery Transcription, Death Certificate, Funeral Home Record, Social Security Record, Insurance Record, Obituary |
Many times, especially for pioneers, primary records simply do not exist. In many cases the head stones at the cemetery provide the only source for your research.” OVS Genealogy http://www.ovs-genealogy.com/articles/free-genealogy-article-primary-secondary-sources.shtml
Primary sources of information allow the learner to access original and unedited information. A primary source requires the learner to interact with the source and extract information. Secondary sources are edited primary sources, second-hand versions. They represent someone else's thinking.
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Family bible Entries should be made close to the time of the event. Bible entries a hundred years later are often inaccurate.
Today on the Internet there is much data which is neither primary nor secondary. Many of the listings are posted by people who have done no original research.
Cite your sources. Give complete data. Name, date and place as completely as possible.
Sources :
Family records ;
Bibles
Letters
Journals
Interviews
Census schedules
Immigration records
Naturalization records
Passenger lists
Vital records
Marriage, deaths, and births
Court house:
Deeds
Wills and probate records (succession in Louisiana)
Law suits
Divorce
Other loose papers
Cemeteries
Books
City directories
Church Records
Newspapers
Obituaries
Maps, atlases and gazetteers
Military records
Sometimes there just are no primary or good secondary records, then one turns to the "preponderance of the evidence." It is a term derived from civil law. Many of the family connections made within the Chiles family have been made through this method. Some have been proven, others not, but sometimes it is the best we have. I have read arguments for and against many of the connections we have made for this family. So BEWARE of how much you copy as fact. Keep your research open to new ideas and newly found records.