CG key terms

A specific, answerable question that defines what the research is meant to discover, such as who the parents of a named person were.

A written outline of the records, repositories, and steps to be used to answer a research question, revised as findings emerge during the project.

A chronological record of every source searched, including those that produced nothing, with the date and result of each search noted.

A tentative answer to a research question, framed so that it can be tested against records and either supported or rejected by the evidence found.

A search of all records likely to answer the question, in all relevant repositories, until no further sources with a reasonable chance of relevant information remain unchecked.

A research method that studies a person's friends, associates, and neighbors, whose records often identify the person when records naming that person directly do not.

A five-part standard requiring reasonably exhaustive research, complete citation, analysis and correlation, resolution of conflicts, and a soundly reasoned written conclusion.

Source material created at or near the time of an event by someone with firsthand knowledge of it, such as a register entry completed when the event occurred.

Source material that restates information copied or compiled from another source, such as an index, abstract, or published transcription, and therefore may contain introduced errors.

Details about an event supplied by someone who had firsthand knowledge of that event, regardless of whether the record holding those details is original or derivative.

Details about an event supplied by someone who did not witness it, such as hearsay relayed to a clerk or information recollected many years later by a family member.

The person who supplied a particular piece of information in a record; identifying that person and assessing their knowledge helps determine how reliable the details are.

Evidence that answers the research question on its own, without needing to be combined with other evidence, such as a certificate naming a person's parents.

Evidence that does not answer the research question by itself but must be combined with other evidence, often from several records, to support a conclusion.

The absence of an expected record or entry, used as evidence when research shows the record should exist and should have been found if the event had occurred.

A note identifying the source of each statement or fact and describing where the item is located, so that another researcher can find the same item independently.

The archive, library, courthouse, website, or other place where a record is held and can be consulted, whether in person or through a surrogate copy.

A word-for-word copy of a document's text, preserving original spelling and punctuation, usually made for research use and clearly labeled as a copy.

A summary of a document's key content, retaining names, dates, and relationships while omitting repetitive legal language, clearly identified as a condensed rendering rather than a full copy.

The process of judging each piece of information by its source, the informant's knowledge, and its relevance, before deciding what the item proves about the research question.

Comparing independent pieces of evidence with one another to see whether they agree, conflict, or together point toward a single conclusion about a person or event.

Two or more pieces of evidence that cannot all be true at once, requiring the researcher to weigh reliability, seek further records, and explain how the conflict was resolved.

The standard of proof in genealogy, under which a conclusion is accepted when the reliable evidence supporting it clearly outweighs the evidence that points against it.

A conclusion drawn from evidence by reasoning rather than stated directly in a record, such as deducing a birth year from a stated age at marriage.

The process of establishing that records referring to a particular name all describe the same person, or alternatively that they describe two or more different people.

The difficulty of distinguishing two or more people who share a name, solved by comparing distinguishing details such as age, residence, spouse, occupation, and associates.

Establishing the exact relationship between two people, such as parent and child, siblings, or cousins, and setting out the evidence that supports that relationship.

A relative who is not a direct ancestor or descendant, such as a sibling, aunt, or cousin, whose records often help identify and distinguish people in the direct line.

The number of generations by which two cousins differ, so that a first cousin once removed is one generation apart from the person describing the relationship.

A short, cited sentence or paragraph that states a conclusion and the evidence supporting it, used when the evidence is clear, direct, and not contested.

A written explanation that resolves conflicting or indirect evidence step by step and justifies a genealogical conclusion that no single record states plainly or completely.

A written account that presents ancestors' lives and relationships in connected prose, with citations supporting each fact and each conclusion drawn from the evidence.

A written document presenting the question, sources searched, findings, and conclusions of a project, often prepared for a client, employer, or archival repository.

A professional statement of principles governing honesty, confidentiality, respect for records and colleagues, and fair dealing with clients, repositories, and the public.

The practice of withholding identifying details about living people from published or shared work, out of respect for their safety and their personal information.

Presenting another person's words, research, or ideas as one's own without clear attribution, which violates professional genealogical standards and misleads readers about the work's origin.

A situation in which a genealogist's personal, financial, or family interest could bias research findings or professional advice, and which should be disclosed to those affected.

The requirement that every fact and conclusion be supported by a citation precise enough for another researcher to locate the same source and verify the statement.

Independent review of a genealogical work by qualified colleagues before publication or credentialing, intended to catch errors, uncited claims, and unsupported conclusions.