Everyone: There have been a lot of really good suggestions on how to handle inaccurate data and how to source it. As a professional genealogist (I research for others for a fee), this is how I handle the situation. I always keep the all of the data and the source it came from. However, when better information is discovered, I replace the inaccurate information with the accurate information. In my notes I write up a proof summary which entails comparing the old information with the new and pretty much building a case for why the new information is more likely to be accurate than the old.
For example; right now I am working for a client and her ancestor's date and place of birth is part of the scope of research. I have several documents that offer conflicting places of birth, however they all list her birth date as the same. For now I accept the date of birth as correct, but I am more inclined to accept the place of birth on a document that shows her birthplace in the same county and state as her siblings, and not what was recorded on the death certificate. When more information about her birth is obtained, I may change what I believe to be most accurate. By keeping these proofs, I can follow my reasoning and make adjustments when necessary. Linda Altman http://www.southerngenealogy.com Southern Genealogy uses Legacy Family Tree! This highly acclaimed genealogy program can be downloaded FREE at http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Index.asp?mid=6BL9QCi Have you unlocked the real power of Legacy? Legacy 6.0 Deluxe has 92 features not found in the Standard Edition. Learn more about these features at http://legacyfamilytree.com/DeluxeEdition.asp. Legacy User Group guidelines can be found at: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ For online technical support, please visit http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
