We feel that we should not enter or change any data in our family tree without attaching a valid source. It is very easy to make a mistake, and if we have no proof of the data, then there is no way to prove that it is not a mistake.

There are two main categories of sources, primary sources that are recorded at the time of the event and secondary that are compiled later. Primary sources are the best to use to prove data. We try not to use secondary source to proof data. We do use secondary sources to help find primary sources.

Types of each type are listed below. We have allowed for some overlap to give different examples.

Primary Sources

• Data that was recorded at the time of an event such as birth, christening, marriage, death or burial, by an official who was present.
• Certificates: Recorded and issued at the event
• Registers: Lists created by an institution of the events within the institution
• Church certificates, registers and indexes.
• Government certificates, registers and indexes
• Records that are used to prove a residence at particular place or event
• Census
• Electoral Rolls, Voter registration
• Court records
• Litigation
• Criminal
• Property records
• Deeds
• Wills and Probates

Secondary Sources

• Published histories
• Family Trees
• Family information
• Family Bible
• Personal Histories
• Personal Memories

Click here to read "Documents as Sources in Family Tree"

Format to Use When Creating Sources in Family Tree

• Title
• Web Page or Memory
• Where the Record is Found (Citation)
• Describe the Record (Notes)

Ancestry Family Trees

Ancestry is a partner with familySearch and has many records that have been indexed and can be searched. We have created Waite-Iverson and Blacker-Brown family trees on Ancestry.

We insure that each person entered in the Ancestry trees contain as many of the following events as possible and that each is verified with at least one valid source.

• Name and gender
• Birth/Christening date and place
• Marriage date and place
• Death/Burial date and place

We also enter other events to add more information to the life story of each member of the trees. These events include the following.

• Residence
• Military service
• Emmigration and Immigration

When we are satisfied that we have entered enough data the members of the tree we enter a portrait. For those that we don't have portraits for we add an image that displays that the research for that person is completed.

Format to Use When Creating Sources in Ancestry

• Source - Where does this information or evidence come from?
• Citation - What are the specifics of the information or evidence provided by this source?
• Detail: Enter the title, or the film number, volume, etc.
• Transcription of text: Transcribe or cut-and-paste exact wording from the source.
• Web Address: If the source was found on the Internet, enter the URL here.
• Facts or Events - What fact(s) or event(s) is this source citation related to?