In part 1 (FT September), we identified the three types of ‘sources’ and three types of ‘information’. In part 2 (FT October), we did a deep dive into ‘evidence’, defining exactly what we mean by it and describing the three different types of genealogical evidence.
This month it’s the turn of proof:
• What is it?
• Is there just one valid definition of proof or are there many?
• How do we decide when an accumulation of evidence reaches a threshold that we can reliably call proof?
• How can we assess whether other researchers’ conclusions qualify as sufficiently proven?
A definition of proof
How do we define what ‘proof ’ means in genealogical terms? Let’s start with a dictionary definition:
‘A fact or piece of information that shows that something exists or is true.’
Cambridge Dictionary. URL: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary. english/proof, accessed 5th March 2023.
That’s good but it isn’t specific to family history research. I searched online across all sorts of organisations looking for a formal definition of genealogical proof. The only organisation I found which offers a definition is the US-based Board of Certification for Genealogists (BCG):
It may be specific to genealogy, but it isn’t written in plain English. I’mis important for genealogists everywhere, but it’s written in the style of a law textbook – there’s barely a paragraph of plain English in it. This is a shame as it has a great deal to say about best-practice approaches to family history research.
