W06 Genealogical Analysis

Question 1

What is wrong with the analysis and correlation of evidence in the following paragraph? Martha Smith and John Doe were married in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in 1909. A birth record from Rhode Island shows a Martha Smith born in 1885. This must be the birth record of the ancestral Martha Smith.

1. The analysis is incorrect because the author does not know that there are no birth records from Rhode Island, so there is no evidence to analyze.
2. The analysis is incorrect because the birth is from Rhode Island and the marriage is from Massachusetts and people tend to be born and get married in the same state.
3. The analysis is incorrect because the author has not correlated any evidence; instead he has jumped from a marriage record to a birth record without any other proof.
4. This analysis is correct.

Answer 1

3. The analysis is incorrect because the author has not correlated any evidence; instead he has jumped from a marriage record to a birth record without any other proof.

Question 2

Consider the following situation. Is it a representation of analysis or correlation? You subtract the age of a person found in a US federal census record from the year it was enumerated to determine a possible birth year.

1. Neither
2. Correlation
3. Both
4. Analysis

Answer 2

4. Analysis - Correct! You are analyzing data from the record.

Question 3

In your research, you come across a pedigree with no citations. You believe it is relevant to your research problem. What steps should you take? Select all that apply.

1. Analyze the information in the pedigree chart and use primary sources to test the information within.
2. Trust the information. Pedigree charts are not published online unless they are correct.
3. Compare the information in the pedigree chart with what you already know.
4. Ignore all information without a citation. Unsourced pedigree charts are of no value to a serious researcher.

Answer 3

1. Analyze the information in the pedigree chart and use primary sources to test the information within.
2. Compare the information in the pedigree chart with what you already know.

Question 4

Consider the following situation. Is it a representation of analysis and correlation of a source, an information item, or piece of evidence?

You are able to answer your research question through what you found in your research.

1. Analysis and correlation of evidence
2. None
3. Analysis and correlation of an information item
4. Analysis and correlation of a source

Answer 4

1. Analysis and correlation of evidence
   (Information becomes evidence if it helps answer the research question.)

Question 5

Consider the following situation. Is it a representation of analysis of a source, an information item, or a piece of evidence?

You determine that you will need to do more research to find a reliable death date for an ancestor because the only death date you have for this individual comes from an index.

1. None
2. Analysis of a source
3. Analysis of evidence
4. Analysis of an information item

Answer 5

2. Analysis of a source
   (You have analyzed the index and decuded it is not reliable)

Question 6

What is wrong with the analysis and correlation of evidence in the following paragraph?

Martha Smith and John Doe were married in Sussex County, Massachusetts, in 1909. A 1930 census entry shows a William and Martha Doe family living in Maine. John must have also gone by Will. Perhaps he went by his first name for legal documents but used his middle name for everything else.

1. This analysis is correct.
2. The analysis is incorrect because the author has assumed that William and Martha are still married in 1930. One should never make assumptions about the length of a marriage.
3. The analysis is incorrect because the author referred to John as William and then Will. When a researcher cannot keep track of simple things like names, their analysis cannot be trusted.
4. The analysis is incorrect because the author has not looked for multiple identifiers to help correlate the evidence. He has ignored a main identifier, the given name.

Answer 6

4. The analysis is incorrect because the author has not looked for multiple identifiers to help correlate the evidence. He has ignored a main identifier, the given name.

Question 7

You are conducting research for a client. He has asked you to discover the birth year of Mary, wife of E.C. Russell. You take the following steps:

1. Your client has told you that Mary and E.C. married in Park County, Montana, in 1889. You locate their marriage license. In it, Mary is recorded as being eighteen-year-old Mary Murray, daughter of M. Murray. Based on this information, you calculate Mary’s birth year as 1871.
2. You next find E.C. and Mary Russell in the 1900 US Census. In the census, Mary is recorded as being born in June of 1874. This does not match the calculated year of birth from the marriage record. You note the conflicting evidence and continue to research.
3. You find E.C. and Mary Russell in the 1910 and 1920 US Censuses. Mary is 36 in 1910 and 46 in 1920. Her calculated birth year in both is 1874. You are frustrated because you have one piece of evidence that does not match with the other three. You continue to research.
4. You find Mary in the 1930 census. She is 56 years old. Her calculated birth year is 1874. The census indicates that her age at first marriage is 16. You think you might now understand how to resolve the conflicting evidence.

What should you do with the conflicting evidence in this case?

1. None of these answers are correct.
2. There is no conflicting evidence.
3. Resolve the conflicting evidence by explaining why Mary probably gave the incorrect age when she married.
4. Ignore it; focus only on the evidence that makes a stronger case.

Answer 7

3. Resolve the conflicting evidence by explaining why Mary probably gave the incorrect age when she married.

Question 8

You are conducting research for a client. He has asked you to discover the birth year of Mary, wife of E.C. Russell. You take the following steps:

1. Your client has told you that Mary and E.C. married in Park County, Montana, in 1889. You locate their marriage license. In it, Mary is recorded as being eighteen-year-old Mary Murray, daughter of M. Murray. Based on this information, you calculate Mary’s birth year as 1871.
2. You next find E.C. and Mary Russell in the 1900 US Census. In the census, Mary is recorded as being born in June of 1874. This does not match the calculated year of birth from the marriage record. You note the conflicting evidence and continue to research.
3. You find E.C. and Mary Russell in the 1910 and 1920 US Censuses. Mary is 36 in 1910 and 46 in 1920. Her calculated birth year in both is 1874. You are frustrated because you have one piece of evidence that does not match with the other three. You continue to research.
4. You find Mary in the 1930 census. She is 56 years old. Her calculated birth year is 1874. The census indicates that her age at first marriage is 16. You think you might now understand how to resolve the conflicting evidence.

The case of Mary Murray revolves around a discrepancy in dates. In “Contradictions and Discrepancies,” the author lists several other types of discrepancies. Which of the following is not listed as a type of discrepancy?

1. Fraud
2. Names
3. Spellings
4. Places

Answer 8

1. Fraud

Question 9

You are conducting research for a client. He has asked you to discover the birth year of Mary, wife of E.C. Russell. You take the following steps:

1. Your client has told you that Mary and E.C. married in Park County, Montana, in 1889. You locate their marriage license. In it, Mary is recorded as being eighteen-year-old Mary Murray, daughter of M. Murray. Based on this information, you calculate Mary’s birth year as 1871.
2. You next find E.C. and Mary Russell in the 1900 US Census. In the census, Mary is recorded as being born in June of 1874. This does not match the calculated year of birth from the marriage record. You note the conflicting evidence and continue to research.
3. You find E.C. and Mary Russell in the 1910 and 1920 US Censuses. Mary is 36 in 1910 and 46 in 1920. Her calculated birth year in both is 1874. You are frustrated because you have one piece of evidence that does not match with the other three. You continue to research.
4. You find Mary in the 1930 census. She is 56 years old. Her calculated birth year is 1874. The census indicates that her age at first marriage is 16. You think you might now understand how to resolve the conflicting evidence.

Which piece of evidence conflicts with the others?

1.1889 marriage license
2. 1900 census
3. 1910 census
4. 1930 census

Answer 9

1.1889 marriage license

Question 10

Which are steps you take when resolving conflicting evidence? Select all that apply.

1. Acknowledge the discrepancy
2. Ignore the evidence that seems less credible
3. Analyze sources and information relating to the discrepancy again
4. Explain the discrepancy

Answer 10

1. Acknowledge the discrepancy
2. Analyze sources and information relating to the discrepancy again
3. Explain the discrepancy