What To Do About Disproven Genealogical Data.
Different values for the same event in an ancestor’s life are a frequent occurrence in our research.
Much as we’d all like to have the dates and places perfectly identical on each source we uncover for an
event, the reality is much different. It is not unusual to find different dates and places for the same
event. Even an individual’s name can be vastly different so it’s important to develop a strategy on how
to handle the discrepancies.
Note: Not every discrepancy in your data can or should be resolved. There are some situations
(perhaps even many) where one bit of information is no better or worse than another.
Sometimes it’s best to just leave the alternates without comment.
If you can determine which piece of conflicting data is the most accurate, here are some suggestions on
how to handle the situation.
1. Evaluate the evidence and decide which value you believe to be correct and why. Although this
is the first step, it is not our topic today. We’ll talk about this subject all on its own at a future
meeting.
2. Make sure the data you believe to be accurate is in the correct place in your database. In order
words, if you have 4 different birth date/birth locations, make sure the one you believe to be
accurate is in the main birth field along with its corresponding sources.
3. Identify the remaining data as ‘disproven’ and provide an explanation of why you believe this to
be the case. Using the example from above, you’d have 3 birth events to change to either:
‘Disproven Birth’
‘Disproven Alt. Birth’
’Birth – Disproven’
‘Alt. Birth – Disproven.’
Or some description that you determine works best for you.
For example:
Original Event:
Changed to a disproven event:
The important thing is to decide whatever ‘disproven’ terminology you are going to use, then stick with
it so your data will be consistent.