There's the misperception today that any information found on the Internet just has to be correct. If you've been pursuing your genealogy for some time, and especially if you've been researching online, you may have collected a significant amount of data from Web sites, message boards, mailing lists, and personal e-mail exchanges with other researchers.

In "Along Those Lines . . . " this week, let's explore the types of information available on the Internet and the reasons why we should be skeptical of the materials we may find there.

Primary and Secondary Sources
The Internet has vastly changed the way we conduct our family history research. In the last decade, we have become armchair researchers, using our computers to cover vast amounts of territory that we once traversed only through arduous written correspondence with courthouses, libraries, archives, and other facilities. Unfortunately, where we once wrote letters requesting copies of documents, we now locate records and digitally scanned materials online, copy or download them, add them to our databases, file printouts, and accept the data we find as gospel.

The Internet should not have changed our methodical and scholarly approach to the evaluation of data. We should still consider the nature of the records we encounter, i.e., distinguish between primary records and secondary records. Primary records are those that were created at or near the time an event occurred, and that are therefore more likely to be accurate. Secondary records are those created sometime after an event occurred; because of the elapsed time or lapses of memory, these are less likely to be correct.

The distinction between primary and secondary records is critical in establishing the veracity of the evidence we encounter about our ancestors. Primary records are our best sources. Secondary records can still be used, albeit sparingly. They may confirm the information found in primary records, or multiple secondary records with the same data may be considered as a group and used as evidence.

Types of Genealogical Information on the Internet
Most of the genealogical information on the Internet is secondary and should be viewed with some skepticism. Some, however, may be primary. Let's differentiate between these two sets of materials.

The first set of materials originates with humans and is therefore subject to error. These materials include Web pages, e-mail received from individuals and mailing lists, message board postings, GEDCOM files, online pedigree charts, abstracts, extracts, and transcriptions. All of these are created, compiled, or otherwise processed and are likely to include some typographical and/or transcription errors.

When you encounter these materials on the Internet or exchange information with other researchers, you should always be interested in seeing the original materials yourself. That means that you should contact the person who submitted, provided, or placed the records on the Internet (or sent them to you via e-mail) and request details about the original source materials from which the data was derived. If source citations are included with the data you find on the Internet, you should always be prepared to search out and obtain copies of the originals so you can review them firsthand. If citations are not included, always feel free to contact the originator of the data to ask questions.

The second set of materials includes those that have been digitally reproduced and placed on the Internet. These scanned images consist of things like photographs, maps, census records, marriage licenses, death certificates, muster rolls, and a variety of other original documents. (For example, Ancestry.com has digitized records in its collection of databases.) Since these materials are digital reproductions of the original documents, the chances are very good that they are true and accurate representations of the documents you might obtain if you requested copies from the repository in which they are housed. (Bear in mind, however, that many government entities are struggling with the issue of whether to digitize vital records and make them available on the Internet because of fears that the images may be altered and used for fraudulent purposes.)

How to Proceed
Now that you understand the difference between the two sets of materials, you can be better prepared to work with them. As I said before, you will probably want to consider all the materials you find on the Internet as secondary resources. The data you find on the Internet provides excellent clues and pointers to primary source materials and will save you untold amounts of time and effort in locating the originals. You will, of course, want to order photocopies of the originals or visit the repository in which the originals are stored. And you certainly want to examine these materials firsthand so that you understand the content in its entirety.

The Internet can provide pointers to tremendous numbers and types of records, and you will benefit from the speed at which you can locate original records. However, keep in mind that a healthy dose of skepticism can be a positive thing. While few genealogical researchers intentionally publish incorrect information, many of us make honest mistakes. It's up to you to verify the evidence for yourself to ensure that what you include in your own database is as accurate as possible.

Happy Hunting!

George

Editor’s Note: Ancestry.com Images Online currently includes the Civil War Pension Index. And soon to follow will be U.S. federal census images, 1790-1920. A sample is available online.

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