BCG Genealogical Proof Standard & Proof Arguments 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the GPS evidence taxonomy, what is an 'original source'?
- Any document more than 100 years old
- The first recording of information, unaltered from its original creation (Correct answer)
- A government-issued record
- A source cited in another genealogist's work
Correct answer: The first recording of information, unaltered from its original creation
An original source is the first recording of information — the item as it was first created — as distinguished from a derivative that reproduces or summarizes the original.
Question 2: What distinguishes 'primary information' from 'secondary information' in genealogical evidence analysis?
- The age of the record versus a newer copy
- Whether the informant had firsthand knowledge of the fact at the time it was recorded (Correct answer)
- Whether the source is government-issued or privately created
- Whether the record has been certified by an official
Correct answer: Whether the informant had firsthand knowledge of the fact at the time it was recorded
Primary information is supplied by someone with firsthand knowledge of the fact; secondary information comes from someone without direct knowledge, such as a child reporting a parent's birthplace.
Question 3: A 19th-century published county history contains a biographical sketch compiled from information submitted by the subject's descendants decades after his death. How should this source be classified?
- Original source, primary information
- Derivative source, secondary information (Correct answer)
- Original source, secondary information
- Authored work, primary information
Correct answer: Derivative source, secondary information
The published history is a derivative (compiled from other sources), and the descendants' recollections about events they did not witness constitute secondary information.
Question 4: What is a 'derivative source' in genealogical terminology?
- A source obtained from a courthouse
- Any source that reproduces, transcribes, abstracts, or extracts information from an original (Correct answer)
- A source created by the subject of research
- A source that has been certified as accurate
Correct answer: Any source that reproduces, transcribes, abstracts, or extracts information from an original
A derivative source is one that reproduces content from an original in some altered form — transcripts, abstracts, indexes, and databases are common examples.
Question 5: In a proof argument, how must a genealogist handle conflicting evidence before stating a conclusion?
- Cite only the most reliable source and ignore the rest
- List all conflicting sources in a footnote
- Explain the conflict, evaluate each piece of evidence, and show why one interpretation is better supported (Correct answer)
- Defer the conclusion until new records are found
Correct answer: Explain the conflict, evaluate each piece of evidence, and show why one interpretation is better supported
GPS requires that conflicting evidence be fully addressed by evaluating the reliability of each piece and explaining why the evidence as a whole supports one conclusion over another.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of 'indirect evidence' in genealogical research?
- A birth certificate that directly states the subject's date of birth
- A deed that names a grantor but does not state his relationship to a prior owner (Correct answer)
- A marriage record listing both spouses' full names
- A death certificate that lists the decedent's parents by name
Correct answer: A deed that names a grantor but does not state his relationship to a prior owner
Indirect evidence does not directly answer the research question but, combined with other evidence, can support a conclusion — a deed that implies family connections through context is a classic example.
Question 7: What does BCG mean by 'reasonably exhaustive search' when applied to a specific research question?
- Searching at least ten different sources
- Searching every possible record that has ever existed
- Searching all sources that are reasonably available and likely to contain relevant information (Correct answer)
- Searching until two sources agree on the same fact
Correct answer: Searching all sources that are reasonably available and likely to contain relevant information
Reasonably exhaustive search means consulting all sources that are available and that a knowledgeable researcher would expect to contain relevant information — not every conceivable source, but all reasonable ones.
BCG Genealogical Proof Standard & Proof Arguments 2
In the GPS evidence taxonomy, what is an 'original source'?