The Creation of Papers

When reviewing any record, document, or family story think about the pieces of information that item contains and the events it mentions. Does that information suggest another record or source that may contain more detail? Would the events mentioned in the family story have caused the creation of other records?

Many events in a person’s life cause the creation of some sort of “paper record.” Try and get beyond birth, marriage, and death.  A good way to begin analyzing a family tradition or story is to break it into the pieces that may have generated some sort of record or evidence and the pieces that probably did not.

Then focus on locating those records.