www.Leazott.com

Exactly What Is Your Problem                               Published Monthly
Lesson 044...                                                                                                            2019 06 01

Defining The Problem...
Recording information accurately from sources that describe the events poorly can be challenging.
Credibility levels can drop severely when not pesented well (Both the source and the report).

Recording events that we were not present for can have several issues.
While we must collect all info, it's important to sort all that's found into a believable life story.

Documents (Including photographs) are absolute, but can also contain errors.
Sometimes these errors can be accidental, omissive or even lies.

Oral histories from any source, however accurate, will usually contain some amount of "opinion".
While being a very natural course of events, it's not the way to conduct a research.
These opinions then become transformed into history as "facts".

The task for many family history genealogists is to sort fact from opinion (And perhaps fiction).
In many cases, no attempt to prove or disprove the information is ever done.
Defining exactly what happened is the the real problem.


How Did That Happen?...
Becoming lax in one's everyday speech seems to be the norm for todays society.
Using complete sentences has fallen by the wayside in favor of speedier transmissions.
As a result, we're presumed to know precisely what the other person is saying about any topic.

"None of them understood what he said to him when everyone was there."
The statement above is status quo for gossip, but would you cite that as a source?
Yet while interviewing, we sometimes assume we know the answers, and fill them in during reports.

While this may work "well" in close kinships, distant or previously unknown relatives can be different.
Dialogue style, nervousness and elders train of thought pattern can create uncertainties.
Things as seemingly simple as item descriptions can also be mis-stated.

Uncertain photographs from "yesteryear" come primarily from date/place issues, and "cutoff portions".
Computer-age photos present far more difficult issues with crop/paste cutouts and removals.
Documents (Official and otherwise) are falsified far more often than you would think.


What Can We Do To Fix This?...
Use your words.
Be specific, use names and places within your speech and written words.

We can't control the language use by others, but we can improve our own to get a more exact reply.
When responding during interviews, use specific names to only one question (Example).
Let the person give you all that they know, then ask for the specifics.

Older photograph pieces may present challenges when attempting to confirm dates or places.
Look for similar clothing, hair styles, other people or pre-appearances of tatoos.
Cutouts "usually" happen for specific reasons-Who else was in it?

Documents may confirm or refute a given memory, but that doesn't mean they are correct.
We've all run into clerks performing jobs "loosely"-Misdated, wrong name/address, etc..
More likely is mis-information is given about third persons (Deliberate or accidental).

After all data has been collected, compare multiple source information to see if the stories match.
Personal opinions or event perceptions may vary somewhat, but facts are not negotiable.
If a story cannot be confirmed by photo/receipt/etc, note that in your records.


Where Can We Find Corroborating Data?...
When an oral history from a living source doesn't match known documents there becomes a dilemma.
The options are then to note the information and move on, or to find corroborating evidence.
Ignoring information should never be done, even when supports cannot be found.

While perspectives and memory can both vary somewhat for each person, a general sense remains.
Something had to have happened, however abstract it may be from the information being given.
The exception being persons that are ill with anger who are intent on defaming other persons.

If available, contact any other surviving sources that were present to recount the story.
Contacting unknown relatives can be challenging and have hurdles, but it may be worth doing.
Even if they were very young at the time, they may still have a small piece of memory about that day.

For the broadest of efforts, try a generalized internet search with the persons name and event.
Sometimes a photo of the same day may have clues within it also, even if not directly.
Look for a noticable lack of evidence supporting widely known "knowledge".


What Did We Learn From This?...
Many people blend and believe gossip conversations as facts.
Opinions may often be correct, but are not facts until they're substantiated.

Documents can be incorrect for a variety of reasons whether manipulated or natural error.
Many times documenting does not require the person to be present-Think about that.
For those reasons we should always use multiple documents to confirm memories.

Documentation does not have to be an "official" version to substantiate a persons event memory.
Any item that pertains to the day in question can can lend general credibility to their story.
Payment receipts of the day are highly credible for placing both people and items.

Official records seemingly account for a person somewhere at certain points within their lives.
Sometimes people point to those events as proof, and sometimes they deny them.
Either case may be true for a wide variety of personal or other reasons.

Above all else, do not simply ignore or discard any information whatsoever.
A simple notation to the informants file of what they said may one day come into light.
If you don't have the resources to prove or disprove the information, save it for someone who does.


The Basic Rules...
First...
Take in any and all available info, regardless of its credibility.
Compare the data to see which is more believable.

Second...
Try to find corroborating evidence, preferably from another living source.
Look for consistant as well as in-consistant items on both sides.

Third...
Under no circumstances should information ever be thrown away, altered, erased or deleted.
It may not be possible to validate a sources memory, but it's possible to record it.



As always...
What you'll choose to do with this information is up to you.
It will at least serve as a stepping stone for further knowledge.
You should be applauded for your willingness to educate yourself.

These are only basic guidelines, and can always be adjusted to suit your personal needs or budget.
Hopefully the knowledge gained here will help you to be better positioned as a family historian!

      Happy searches!!

        Massachusetts

Our family. Our website.
Leazott.com