In a time of rapidly expanding internet use and the advent of Google as a verb meaning to search, it's often thought: what could not possibly be found on the internet? Looking at Wikipedia, there are articles on everything: topics small and large, expansive and minute. With such proliferation of information on the web, it is easy to conclude that any—and all—information can be found there.
Unfortunately, this is a myth. The internet is a terrific means of rapidly searching through many places at once, allowing us to search databases for public records or look through millions of genealogy resources online in a matter of minutes. However, while the internet makes our search for information easy and efficient, it is critical to remember that the resources available on the internet—while there may be a lot—are not all that there is to be found. Not every record is on the internet, since such records must have been transcribed into an electric form and hosted on a website.
Another related myth is the belief that everything found on the internet is accurate. Transcriptions open room for error, and more importantly, there is no one regulating the quality of the information put online. The ease of publishing on the internet means that a person with absolutely no background can just as easily write a guide as a seasoned genealogist. The internet is also full of scams; regrettably, the field of genealogy is not immune to this, either.
Consequently, it is important to check the accuracy of what you find on the internet against family history interviews, offline records, graveyard tombstones, and so on. Finding information on the internet is just the beginning of a search — from there, one will want to verify what he or she has found using primary records or other means.
Family Legends as Family Truths
Yes, Auntie Mary said that her grandmother was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. And grandfather swears that he is distantly related to George Washington. As truthful as these types of stories might sound, researchers must be careful. Family legends are not family truths.
Even though oral tradition might be the truth, people’s memories are not great (people are even known to ‘remember’ stop signs that never existed). And genealogy has much room for honest mistakes: ancestor could be from Columbus, Georgia rather than Columbus, Ohio.
Family memories and legends are likely based in truth and the ultimate goal is to figure out, using all your genealogical research skills, exactly how much is true. Dates and times are probably not as exact as personal details, and here, public records can used to verify what relatives speculate.
Lessons Learned: A Guide to Good Genealogy Practice
What should one do if he or she does not believe his or her family? The important lesson here is that a genealogist must be a critical thinker. Do findings make sense? Can primary resources be verified? Can stories be corroborated it with other sources? This is the essence of genealogy: nurturing a healthy skepticism and honing research skills to track down clues and then proving it.
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