In all important decisions we need to consider the source of our information. This article helps us to understand why we should check our genealogy sources carefully.
This great article is written by my friend, Bryan Mulcahy, from the Ft. Myers, Library.
Primary vs. Secondary Sources in Genealogical Research
For
many beginning researchers, the terms primary and secondary information
and sources can be confusing. Primary sources, briefly defined, are
documents or records created
at the time of, or shortly after, an event by either someone with
personal knowledge of the facts or the actual testimony of a person
involved in the event. In the ideal situation, informants may have been
on the scene at the time of the event, and were close
friends of the individual or family members.
Unfortunately, it is possible that they may have been bystanders or
neighbors whose knowledge of the individual or family may have been
limited at best. Fortunately, if this was the case, authorities may
have tried to locate family members to obtain additional details.
Primary sources
are usually the first or earliest documents in which a particular piece
of information was recorded.
This source may be an official document or certificate, or a published
work containing transcribed information from original documents or
other primary sources. Records containing this scope of information may
include diaries, journals, state or federal
census records, courthouse records such as deeds, wills, probates,
birth or death records, baptism or marriage records, ships passenger
lists and military records. Primary records are, of course, the most
reliable sources, but secondary records can provide
you with many clues for further research.
Secondary sources
are published works, including those distributed electronically, either
copied
or compiled from primary sources, or reflecting the conclusions of a
researcher based on primary or secondary sources. Secondary information
was usually provided by someone whose knowledge of data was not from
firsthand knowledge. They may have been family
members but were either away at the time the event occurred, estranged
from the individual or family, or resided in distant localities.
Secondary
sources are those records or other pieces of information that were
created at some time after an event
occurred. The passage of time, the lapse of memory, and the lack of
knowledge (or ignorance) of the person providing the information all
conspire to make the evidence less than reliable. In addition, an
informant sometimes falsifies information for a variety
of reasons. When analyzing information, regardless of whether it is a
primary or secondary source, it is helpful to know the relationship
between the informant to the individual or family. That relationship
may shed light on the potential accuracy of the
information.
Secondary
sources should be viewed with skepticism until they are later verified
in a primary source. By their
very nature they should be suspect, and you should always seek
additional evidence to either corroborate or contradict the facts they
present. Examples of secondary sources may include
family
histories, bible records, indexes or compilations of census or marriage
records, any sort of history (county, state, etc.), and collections of
cemetery inscriptions.
Some documents can be both primary and secondary sources.
Death certificates are notorious for their errors. Dependable
information on a death certificate may include the name of the decedent,
date and place of death, place of burial, and undertaker’s name.
However, the key word is “may”. Always examine the date
of death and the certificate's issue date. If there is any significant
time lapse, look for other corroborating evidence elsewhere. Also, the
date of birth, birth location, age, names of spouse, and names of
parents are all secondary sources. Never take these
details for fact. Remember that someone else acted as informant in
order to fill out the certificate. If he or she didn't know the correct
information, he/she may have guessed at it. Use these pieces of
information as pointers, but always find other substantiating
evidence.
BLM 11/4/2011
Bryan L. Mulcahy
Reference Librarian
Fort Myers-Lee County Library
2050 Central Avenue
Fort Myers, FL 33901-3917
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