It is essential to always access the original document if at all possible so that we can personally read and analyze the content. Don’t rely on anyone else’s assessment and conclusions; they may not have had the insight into the individual or family that we have.

Online family trees should always be suspect. We have no idea of how thorough the creator was in their research, analysis, or conclusions. The lack of source citations should be a red flag. We can use the information in those trees as clues to pursue our own research; they should never be used as a shortcut to information.