Realizing that you have been working on a different family tree can be very frustrating, especially if you are right in the middle or just about to finalize your search. All the money and hours you’ve spent on your research have been wasted. And the people you have come to know and love are not really connected to you by blood or history. Sadly, it can happen very easily. The list includes some of the most common genealogy mistakes to avoid.
Claims based on a single source
Either an official record or a story of a relative is a reliable source of valid information about the history of your ancestors; however, one cannot suffice. It is possible that certain important details such as events, names and dates have been noted or recalled slightly different. This results to inaccuracy of your research. Before making a claim, all the information is cross-checked with different sources.
No proper documentation of sources
It is very easy to get lost in the middle of your research when you don’t record your progress carefully. A misspelled name or a wrong date of birth can lead your research to different a person belonging to a different family tree. Since you are holding different records and searching on different locations, it can be very hard to trace where you have committed an error if you do not take note of your sources.
Cheating in order to have a desirable result
Finding out that your great-grandfather is Abraham Lincoln is cool. But if you intentionally put just because your neighbor is a great-grandson of George Washington, then you are just cheating yourself. This may sound ridiculous but the truth is many people include famous names in their family tree even if they know that it is not true.
Making claims from unverified assumptions
Assumptions can provide a good working hypothesis. But unless you have credible data that will support such assumptions, you should not be making any claims out of them. Test every hypothesis against credible evidences and affirm if it has been proven to be true. Alternately, reject any assumption if they cannot be supported by any document or if they have been found false.
Overlooking information that you already have
Old living relatives and records at hand are 2 of the most reliable sources of information that can lead you to several generations back. But beginners oftentimes forget their importance and resort to online genealogy sites right away. Start your research with what you have.
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