Genealogy -What is the difference between a primary and secondary source?

Indeed, not all sources are created equal!



As a working genealogist, you'll need to know the vital difference between primary and secondary sources.



A primary source is a document - or even sometimes a person - that is contemporary with the period you're writing about. Let's take, for example, the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Primary sources for this event would be all news accounts generated at the time, including newspaper stories. Additionally, any person who was present at the event can be counted as a primary source as well. Even those individuals who were not actually in Dallas at the time of the shooting, but were alive and can attest to their feelings, what they saw on television, as well as the mood of the nation and the world, are considered primary sources. So this would even include diaries of individuals who witnessed the event, and government documents and other papers generating a response to it.



Secondary sources to this event, by contrast, include books written after the event,

re-creations of the event; and accounts of individuals not alive, created by people who researched primary sources. Historians use secondary sources in several ways. First, they may use these when they just can't access the primary source. Or they may start by reading the secondary sources with an eye to discovering precisely which primary sources that author used. And then they head straight to that source itself to see what else can be gleaned from it.



In pursuing research, every historian attempts to get as many primary sources as possible. Keep in mind that you are indeed a full-blooded historian, so to speak. You have an obligation to use as many primary sources as possible. Even in your pursuit of oral history - the retelling of the family tree from older family members - you need to retrace these tales to discover documentation - primary sources - that verify the stories. Let's face it; sometimes we all remember some aspects of events that may not be quite accurate.



For the genealogist, a good example of a primary source is a birth certificate of Aunt Jane- an original one dating from the time of the individual's birth. A secondary source would be the interview with Aunt Jane's daughter Ingrid who said that Aunt Jane was born in 1932. Ingrid wasn't present at the birth.

Ready to dig in and unearth your family history? Check out the ebook You're Related to Whom? How to Research and Create Your Own Unique Family Tree.
VoodooGenealogy.com

Genealogy -The Family Group Sheet

In the last lesson, you learned what a pedigree chart is and how to use it properly. In this lesson, you learn about the second most important document you'll produce from your studies: the family group sheet.



Where the pedigree chart focuses on an individual's history, the Family Group Sheet spotlights an entire family (not surprisingly, considering its name!). This particular tool provides a space for a couple and their children. It also contains fields to record the birth, marriage, death and locations of burial for each member.



Many of these sheets also allow you space to record the spouse's name and the name of each child. It's also valuable because this document allows you to record comments about family members or documents you've uncovered.



As you progress with your research, you'll discover just how valuable a tool this document is. This sheet allows you to include information not only on the individuals, but on the children of your ancestors - and their spouses. If your pedigree is a portrait of your life, then consider the family group sheet a wide-angle photograph of your family.



When you have difficulty locating a birth certificate on a specific ancestor, turning to this sheet and checking on his/her sibling may yield more clues. Knowing something about a missing ancestor's brother or sister, at least gives you a starting point in looking for some of the necessary documentation to confirm his membership in your family.



In Tip #6, I'll explain the difference between a primary and secondary source. This comes in handy when it's time to start documenting your research. Until then, I'd like to leave you with another fact from my file, Which President is Related to Whom?



The eighteenth president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant (gotta love a president whose initials are U.S.!) was seventh cousin of Millard Fillmore! And despite that, he still got elected president! Imagine that!



Ready to dig in and unearth your family history? Check out the ebook You're Related to Whom? How to Research and Create Your Own Unique Family Tree.
VoodooGenealogy.com