Are Family Trees Considered a Reliable Tool for Family History Research?
April 1, 2024
Beginners Level Article
Are Family Trees Considered a Reliable Tool for Family History Research?
Family Trees can appear in a variety of formats. The original primary source for many of these trees
was found in published family histories. The information contained in these sources usually included
biographical details supplemented with relevant genealogical information on the various generations.
Many family histories were further supplemented with photographs, ancestral charts, family group
sheets, and source citations. Today, databases such as Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast,
MyHeritage, WikiTree, etc., include online family trees. This results in many researchers spending
more time using online sources than traditional print sources.
Regardless of where you find a family tree, the same historical caveat continues to be applicable. Use
family trees as a guide but always be cautious with using the information until you can verify it in
multiple reliable sources. It is unfortunate that some researchers have made it a practice to borrow
entire sections of online trees without evaluating where the information comes from. Watch out for
dubious claims in family tree profiles, citing unreliable sources or making unreasonable leaps in logic
to support an existing research theory or connect to famous ancestors. Be especially suspicious of
online trees without sources.
The internet has enabled researchers to have unprecedented access to records and other resources.
Genealogy database family trees include millions of names. Some are legitimately documented while
others contain mistakes that have been copied from other people’s work. These mistakes are
compounded as they are copied by others who make no effort to verify their accuracy, especially if the
supposed facts fit neatly into the perceived notions of what you feel is accurate information. This
results in error filled information literally being spread like wildfire. Most professional genealogists
recommend the following fact-checking guidelines for verifying the information found in online or
printed format family trees.
1. Confirm the profile is a reasonable match. Determine whether the match is even a reasonable fit.
Consider any discrepancies in names, ages/birth dates, and places. You can expect some variance
(particularly in surname spelling), but take pause if you find radically different names, birth dates that
vary by more than a couple years, or far-flung locations. Use historical maps or gazetteers to see how
far apart places are.
2. Resist the temptation to automatically add any information found on family trees compiled by
someone else. Even if the person that compiled the information on the tree is, in your opinion,
considered an iron-clad source, take the time to verify the accuracy of the citation and information.
In situations like this, the internet is a double-edged sword. Online trees through sites like
Ancestry.com and MyHeritage make it easy to transfer other users’ data directly to your own work.
Taking the time to verify the accuracy will keep you from adding inaccurate or irrelevant data to your
tree.
3. Create timelines. Instead of blind acceptance of family tree information compiled by someone else,
your first consideration should be to consider how the facts line up with what you already know. Does
the other tree add information about new life events, or suggest a variation on events you’ve already
documented? Timelines can be helpful here, allowing you to visualize your ancestor’s known life
activities before trying to incorporate new information.
4. Are we talking about lies, laziness, poor research habits, or all of the above? While it is good practice to assume good intentions when evaluating the information found in family trees, you must be aware of certain realities. Even genealogies published by reputable sources are susceptible to having
incorrect information. Much of the false information in online or print trees results from poor research
habits ranging from record mismatches, improperly sourced (or unsourced) data, or logical but
inaccurate speculation. Intentional falsehoods can also taint the reliability of published research,
and lying about ancestry is nothing new.
5. For centuries, people have created false connections on their family trees to fabricate connections
to wealthy or famous people. One of the most infamous individuals in this practice was Gustav Anjou.
Others result in deliberate fabrications and lies provided by ancestors who have covered up family
scandals, illegal or inappropriate behavior on their part, omitted “undesirable” ancestors, or asserted
the so-called “purity” of their lineage or ethnic heritage.
6. Use historical context and common sense to rule out impossibilities. Misinformation in family trees
usually springs from poor research or faulty conclusions. Be on the lookout for facts that don’t make
sense or do not fit the circumstances. Prime examples would include children being born before their
parents, ancestors living in two places at once, or mothers giving birth at too young or old of an age.
7. Examine all citations. Look to see what (if any) sources the other user has attached to each fact. Having no citations of any kind is a clear red flag that caution is needed! This is especially true if the
sender only cites other family trees. Data coming from the latter isn’t necessarily wrong, but you
should always try to follow details back to the original source document. Hints on other users’ family
trees usually indicate how many sources are attached to the profile. Ancestry.com lists both number
of sources and number of attached records from an Ancestry.com collection.
8. Prioritize quality over quantity. Some sources are more reliable than others, based on how and when they were created. For example, original records or scans of them are generally the most reliable, followed by record transcriptions, then published indexes. Review Linked Sources. If the potential tree information to be added has attached sources, examine them to see if they provide the information the other user says they do. You may find that the other user drew the wrong conclusions from a record, or that details in the record were misunderstood or incorrectly transcribed.
9. Beware of the possibility that the record isn’t the right fit for the person at all. Viewing images of
original documents is best, as a scan of them might reveal information that was not transcribed or
indexed. Consider when the cited record was created in relation to the event it’s documenting, as well
as who provided the information. Records created closer in time to an event are more likely to be accurate, as are records that were informed by first-hand witnesses.
I have compiled multiple study guides that discuss this topic. All are free and available by request electronically. The titles are shown below. Additional information on this topic will be shown in the books and internet sections that follow.
1. Brickwalls: Research Challenges and Deadends 2. Common Genealogical Research Mistakes 3. Determining the Reliability of Genealogical Records and Documents
Books
Family Chronicle Magazine. 500 Brickwall Solutions to Genealogy Problems. 2003 Genealogy (G) 929.1072 FAM