| Avoiding Logical Errors in Family Trees |
| What is a logical error? In very simple terms it is a conclusion that is incorrectly made from facts that do not support the conclusion. Logical errors can occur anywhere: philosophy, politics, computer programming and, unfortunately, genealogy. Here are some common examples: - Children being born before their parents
- An ancestor existing in two places at once
- An ancestor existing (marrying, buying or selling property, etc.) after their death
- Non-twin siblings born less than nine months apart
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| There may well come a day when all online tree building websites and genealogy software programs catch errors like these. But until then, here are a few ways that you can prevent these errors from taking root in your tree. Make timelines. Timelines are a simple and wonderfully effective tool for guarding against many of the errors in the above list. Create a timeline of major events in your ancestor's life and you will be able to catch chronological errors like an ancestor dying before her child's birth, for example. Don’t draw conclusions from a single piece of evidence. Any record, regardless of how close to the event it was created, could have errors. In her new article, Lindsey Harner discusses her ancestor Thomas for whom six different birthdates could be found in various records! Because there's no guarantee that the information in a single record is accurate, guard against errors by using single pieces of evidence to create theories, but not facts. Always evaluate new information before adding it to your tree. Online trees are useful for many reasons, not the least of which is their ability to generate clues and new leads to follow. However, it has also made it quite easy for bad research to sneak into your tree. Always fact-check new information to avoid transplanting errors in other people's research into yours. |
