CPI Historical & Archival Research 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary value of consulting Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps during a paranormal site investigation?
- They record historical ghost sightings reported to insurance companies
- They provide detailed building footprints, construction materials, and past uses of structures (Correct answer)
- They list all fires classified as 'mysterious origin' in a given area
- They document soil composition data relevant to burial sites
Correct answer: They provide detailed building footprints, construction materials, and past uses of structures
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps show detailed building layouts, materials, and usage history, helping investigators understand a structure's full physical and functional history.
Question 2: A CPI is investigating a site with reported poltergeist activity in a basement. Which historical record would help determine if the space was ever used as a holding cell or place of confinement?
- State geological survey maps
- City or county jail and lockup facility records (Correct answer)
- Federal highway administration route maps
- Agricultural census livestock tallies
Correct answer: City or county jail and lockup facility records
City or county jail and lockup facility records document structures used for confinement, which investigators often correlate with reports of residual or intelligent haunting activity.
Question 3: What distinguishes 'primary sources' from 'secondary sources' in paranormal historical research?
- Primary sources are digital; secondary sources are physical documents
- Primary sources originate from the time period being studied; secondary sources interpret or describe those events later (Correct answer)
- Primary sources are government documents; secondary sources are personal accounts
- Primary sources require paid access; secondary sources are freely available
Correct answer: Primary sources originate from the time period being studied; secondary sources interpret or describe those events later
Primary sources are original documents created during the period under study, while secondary sources analyze or describe those events from a later perspective.
Question 4: Which federal repository holds military service records that could help a CPI research whether a soldier died at a specific location?
- The Library of Congress Manuscript Division
- The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis (Correct answer)
- The Smithsonian Institution Archives
- The US Copyright Office
Correct answer: The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis
The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis holds military service and medical records that document soldiers' deaths, assignments, and service locations.
Question 5: When analyzing historical accounts of paranormal events, what is 'source bias' and why does it matter?
- The tendency for digital archives to favor certain geographic regions
- The inclination of a source's author to present information in a way shaped by their perspective, culture, or agenda (Correct answer)
- The preference of investigators to use local sources over national archives
- The systematic exclusion of religious documents from academic databases
Correct answer: The inclination of a source's author to present information in a way shaped by their perspective, culture, or agenda
Source bias refers to how an author's perspective, beliefs, or agenda can shape how events are described, which investigators must account for when evaluating historical accounts of paranormal events.
Question 6: A CPI discovers conflicting accounts of a historic murder in two different newspaper archives. What is the best research strategy?
- Accept the account from the older newspaper as automatically more accurate
- Seek corroborating primary sources such as court records or coroner reports to resolve discrepancies (Correct answer)
- Discard both accounts and rely only on oral history from local residents
- Assume the conflict means no murder occurred and move on
Correct answer: Seek corroborating primary sources such as court records or coroner reports to resolve discrepancies
When sources conflict, investigators should seek corroborating primary sources like court records or coroner reports that provide official, documented accounts of events.
Question 7: What is the significance of 'deed restrictions' or 'deed covenants' discovered during a property title search for a haunted location?
- They prove the property has been designated a historical landmark
- They may reveal prior uses, prohibited activities, or conditions reflecting the site's unusual history (Correct answer)
- They automatically indicate a history of violent crime on the property
- They are only relevant to commercial properties, not residential investigations
Correct answer: They may reveal prior uses, prohibited activities, or conditions reflecting the site's unusual history
Deed restrictions and covenants can reveal prior uses, prohibited activities, or conditions imposed on a property that may shed light on its unusual or troubled history.
CPI Historical & Archival Research 3
What is the primary value of consulting Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps during a paranormal site investigation?