Content Knowledge Flashcards

Which genealogical principle states that original records are generally more reliable than derivative records?

Answer: The principle of original evidence

The principle of original evidence holds that records created closest to the event, without intervening copying or transcription, are generally more reliable.

When citing a digital image of a microfilmed census record on Ancestry.com, which element should appear first in a source citation?

Answer: The creator of the original record

Evidence Explained guidelines place the creator or author of the original record first in a source citation, before derivative or hosting sources.

A 1900 U.S. Federal Census shows a woman's age as 35 and her years of marriage as 12. What additional column helps estimate her children's birth years?

Answer: Number of children born and number living columns

The 1900 census uniquely recorded the number of children a woman had borne and the number still living, enabling estimates of lost children and approximate birth windows.

Which record type is MOST useful for identifying a woman's maiden name when she died before 1900 in a state without vital registration?

Answer: Land deed or probate record naming her as a wife or heir

Land deeds and probate records frequently name women with both married and maiden names, or identify female heirs by their relationship to the deceased, revealing maiden surnames.

What does the term 'cluster genealogy' refer to in research methodology?

Answer: Researching an ancestor within the context of neighbors, associates, and kin

Cluster genealogy involves studying an ancestor alongside the people who lived near them and interacted with them, since families often migrated and settled together.

In a German Lutheran church book, what does the term 'Taufregister' specifically record?

Answer: Baptism records

Taufregister is the German term for a baptismal register, recording the christening of infants in Lutheran parishes.

Which of the following best describes 'indirect evidence' in genealogical research?

Answer: Information that answers the research question only when combined with other information

Indirect evidence does not directly answer the research question on its own but contributes to the answer when correlated with other pieces of information.