Identify the Source
Record what you're analyzing, the question you're trying to answer, and whether the source is original, derivative, or still uncertain.
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RESEARCH TOOL
Evidence Analysis Worksheet
Stop collecting records. Start understanding what the evidence actually supports.
4-PAGE PRINTABLE PDFANALYZE ONE SOURCE AT A TIMESEPARATE STATEMENTS FROM INFERENCESCOMPARE SUPPORTING AND CONFLICTING EVIDENCE
Digital Product$3.00
A 4-page printable worksheet for analyzing a genealogy source, separating facts from inferences, correlating conflicting evidence, and deciding what you can reasonably conclude.
WHAT'S INSIDE
A better way to turn records into evidence
A source doesn't answer a genealogy question simply because you found it. This worksheet helps you examine where the information came from, distinguish what the source actually says from what you're concluding, compare it with other evidence, and decide how strongly the evidence supports your answer.
Examine the Information
Identify who supplied important information, whether they likely had firsthand knowledge, and what might affect its reliability.
Separate Statements From Inferences
Distinguish what the source explicitly states from conclusions you're drawing from that information.
Correlate the Evidence
Compare the source with other evidence and identify agreements, conflicts, and information that adds important context.
Evaluate Your Conclusion
Decide what the evidence currently supports and whether your conclusion is strong, moderate, tentative, or not supported.
Plan What Comes Next
Identify missing evidence, consider what could change your conclusion, and choose the next three searches that matter most.
THE WORKFLOW
From a record you found to a conclusion you can defend
Work through one source at a time. The goal isn't to decide whether a record is simply “right” or “wrong,” but to understand what information it contributes and how that information fits with the rest of your evidence.
01Define the research question02Identify and classify the source03Evaluate the information04Separate statements from inferences05Correlate other evidence06Evaluate the conclusion
Don't ask which record is right. Ask which conclusion best explains all of the evidence.