Week 6 (May 8-14 2015)

This week's topics:
1) Evaluating evidence
2) Reviewing online education options

1) Evaluating Evidence

In his explanation, Thomas MacEntee gives a summary of his method of evaluating evidence to determine a proof point and entering them in his research log and then evaluating the found evidence to determine if the facts found can be proven or not. He admits that in the past he would accept facts in a book on the assumption that if it is in a published book, it must be true.

Once again my high school history classes have proven to be invaluable for my genealogy research.  One of my teachers taught us to evaluate the origins of a book.  To illustrate his point, he pointed to one of our textbooks.  The British author described the origins of the Boston Tea Party as being a the colonists getting into a snit.  I can't remember the exact wording, or the specific author, but the point has alway stuck with me...always take note of who is giving the information and be wary of any potential bias by that individual.  With that philosophy having been ingrained in my mind, I believe I instictively avoid what MacEntee admits to doing in the past.  And that is why I have always cited my sources, so that I am aware of potential skewing of information.

MacEntee goes on to explain in detail the process he uses to evaluate his birth certificate to determine the source type, clarity of the document, information provided and the evidence type.  His conclusion is that the birth certificate, a copy of an original record housed in a repository, would be ranked higher as a reliable record that a birth announcement published in a newspaper or a Delayed Birth Certificate filed years later which would be based on sworn affidavits by the individual or others.

I am sorry, but I feel that this it is a waste of time to go through all this process.  Or maybe it's just that I feel that I can do an acceptable (at least for me) evaluation on the fly.  In search online images of Ontario Birth records on Ancestry, if the record that comes up is a Delayed Statement of Birth, I will use the information (better than nothing in my opinion) BUT I take the information with many grains of salt - especially if it is signed by the individual in question or a sibling of similar age.  Even if signed by a parent, I acknowledge that the intervening years could lead to inaccurate information being given.

If I was a professional genealogist doing research for a client, I can see needing to spend the time backing up the information I would be putting into the report.  But for my own family history, I would rather spend the time locating more details to either continue reinforcing the facts already found, or finding another facts on that individual or others in my family tree.

I feel comfortable in doing evaluations "on the fly" and accepting the facts found on the government documents (especially when it is digital images as opposed to transcriptions), as well as newspaper announcements, funeral home obituaries and headstone photos.  I am well aware that the information provided in the later sources can be questionable, but it would be provided by a family member and be the information the family member believes to be true.

I go ahead and enter the information, even if questionable, in my database.  RootsMagic allows one to mark facts as proven, disproven or disputed.  I use that method to highlight what I question.  Even when disproven, I tend to leave the fact in the database so that I know I have already discounted the fact if I happen to come across another source using the incorrect fact.  Especially if the incorrect information is what was entered on a census form. 


2) Reviewing Online Education Options

Again, I'm not going to spend time evaluating this.  I have always been doing that with the emails I receive from various genealogy organizations and bloggers.  As well as being aware of videos available on YouTube or websites.  As the need and time permit, I do watch the videos.  As well as podcasts.

I frequently get emails advertising various online courses and webinars being run by various organizations, but when I see the cost, I decide not to spend the time and money.

MacEntee does provide a document listing some free online genealogy education resources and asks for submissions of other sources.  The list does include some that I was not aware of, so I will check them out. 


Summary

I am still glad that I signed up for the Genealogy Do-Over.  My main reason to start over with my family tree was to go back to one big tree (too many crossovers, resulting in "see" references) and to fix the improper citations done in a free-form style carried over from FamilyTreeMaker.  I figured it would be easier to start fresh than trying to fix up existing records - especially if I merged all the trees into one.

As always, when I have taken genealogy courses and workshops, I come away with something new.  And it reinforces in my mind that I have been on the right track.