But That Tells Me What I Already Know

Sometimes researchers wonder why they should get something when “it’s only going to tell me what I already know.” That’s a valid concern, but there are times when that record that “repeats” what other records say can be helpful, such as:

• the first record has a questionable informant
• the first record really doesn’t make sense
• the first record is difficult to read
• the first record is one that may be inaccurate

And there is always the chance that the “record that tells what you already know” has information that you’ve not located elsewhere.

You don’t know until you look.