CGL Analytical Methods and Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'correlation' in the context of genealogical proof arguments?
- Matching DNA centimorgans to a predicted relationship
- Comparing evidence from multiple sources to identify agreements and conflicts (Correct answer)
- Linking two individuals with the same name in different record sets
- Confirming dates in a source with a published calendar
Correct answer: Comparing evidence from multiple sources to identify agreements and conflicts
Correlation involves systematically comparing information from all gathered sources to identify agreements, conflicts, and gaps before drawing conclusions.
Question 2: Which scenario best illustrates 'circular reasoning' in genealogical research?
- Using a census to confirm a birth year found in a death certificate
- Citing a compiled genealogy as proof, when that genealogy itself cites an unverified family tradition (Correct answer)
- Concluding a woman remarried because her surname changed between censuses
- Assuming two men with the same name in the same county are different individuals
Correct answer: Citing a compiled genealogy as proof, when that genealogy itself cites an unverified family tradition
Circular reasoning occurs when the proof of a claim loops back to an unverified assumption, as when a compiled work cites a tradition it helped perpetuate.
Question 3: When is a 'reasonably exhaustive search' considered complete under the GPS?
- After 20 or more sources have been consulted
- When the researcher has searched all sources that a competent genealogist would consider relevant (Correct answer)
- Once DNA evidence corroborates documentary findings
- When three independent primary sources agree on a conclusion
Correct answer: When the researcher has searched all sources that a competent genealogist would consider relevant
Completeness is judged by whether a competent genealogist would recognize that all pertinent source types have been consulted, not by a fixed number of sources.
Question 4: A researcher finds a marriage record for 'Mary Jones' but cannot confirm it is her Mary Jones. What analytical technique helps resolve this identity problem?
- Presumptive identification based on the rarity of the surname
- Cluster analysis to establish whether the marriage context fits her known associates (Correct answer)
- Accepting the record if the date falls within her estimated marriage window
- Discarding the record until a birth certificate is found
Correct answer: Cluster analysis to establish whether the marriage context fits her known associates
Cluster analysis examines whether witnesses, neighbors, and associates in the marriage record match those known from other records about the subject.
Question 5: How does 'preponderance of evidence' function in genealogical proof?
- It requires unanimous agreement among all sources consulted
- The weight of credible evidence favoring one conclusion outweighs evidence favoring alternatives (Correct answer)
- It applies only when DNA evidence is available to confirm documentary conclusions
- It means a majority of sources, by count, support the conclusion
Correct answer: The weight of credible evidence favoring one conclusion outweighs evidence favoring alternatives
Preponderance of evidence means the cumulative weight of credible, correlated evidence tilts convincingly toward one conclusion over competing alternatives.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a 'research plan' in the GPS framework?
- To satisfy archival requirements before accessing restricted records
- To ensure the research question guides systematic source selection before work begins (Correct answer)
- To document costs and time estimates for client billing
- To list all previously consulted sources in chronological order
Correct answer: To ensure the research question guides systematic source selection before work begins
A research plan keeps the researcher focused on the specific question, guides prioritization of sources, and prevents aimless searching.
Question 7: Which element of a proof argument explains WHY the evidence, taken together, supports the conclusion?
- The source list or bibliography
- The discussion or narrative analysis section (Correct answer)
- The research log entries
- The abstract of each consulted record
Correct answer: The discussion or narrative analysis section
The written analysis discusses the reasoning that connects the evidence to the conclusion, resolving conflicts and demonstrating logical coherence.
CGL Analytical Methods and Techniques 3
What is 'correlation' in the context of genealogical proof arguments?