BCG Genealogical Proof Standard & Proof Arguments 2

Question 1

In the GPS evidence taxonomy, what is an 'original source'?

Accepted Answer

The first recording of information, unaltered from its original creation

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Whether the informant had firsthand knowledge of the fact at the time it was recorded

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Derivative source, secondary information

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Any source that reproduces, transcribes, abstracts, or extracts information from an original

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Explain the conflict, evaluate each piece of evidence, and show why one interpretation is better supported

Answer

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.

(BCG) Board for the Certification of Genealogists Practice Test

(BCG) Board for the Certification of Genealogists Practice Test

BCG Genealogical Proof Standard & Proof Arguments 2