Genealogy, the study of family history and lineage, is an amazing tool that connects us to our roots and ancestors. The accuracy of a family tree is crucial to ensure that the connections we make are genuine. Inaccuracies in a family tree can lead to misconceptions about our heritage, false connections, and a distorted understanding of our family history.
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
The importance of accuracy in a family tree
There are several aspects to consider when you look for inconsistencies or inaccuracies in your family tree:
Historical integrity
Making sure that the historical narrative is preserved correctly. Incorrect connections and dates can lead to fabricated family histories and loss of connections with real relatives.
Personal identity
An accurate tree helps individuals understand their true heritage and cultural background. Inaccurate tree might send you on a wild goose chase, and spend time and effort on incorrect leads.
Legacy
An accurate tree provides future generations with a reliable resource for their genealogical research and family history and legacy.
How inaccuracies happen
Here are some of the reasons that may cause inaccuracy in a family tree to pay attention to:
Human error- transcribing
Mistakes in transcribing records, such as misreading handwritten documents or incorrectly entering data into a database, as well as misinterpretation of relationships or events due to lack of context or understanding.
Common names
Confusing individuals with the same or similar names, particularly in large families or common surnames, leading to incorrect connections.
Incomplete records
Missing or incomplete historical records can lead to gaps in the family tree, resulting in assumptions or guesses that may not be accurate.
Error in records
Historical documents may contain errors, such as incorrect birth dates, misspellings, or incorrect parentage, due to clerical mistakes or misinformation provided at the time by the person himself, for various reasons (age of enlisting, taxes etc.)
Oral histories and family lore
Family stories and traditions passed down through generations rely on memories and word to mouth . Changes may be made by ancestors, in attempt to paint a certain family member in a different light, can lead to false information when these stories are recorded in the family tree. Once recorded in a family tree people tend to rely on this information as evidence.
Adoptions and non-paternity events
Adoption, informal adoptions, or undisclosed non-paternity events (e.g., children born out of wedlock, infidelity) can create discrepancies in biological relationships versus recorded relationships. At times, information might be recorded on an official document portraying certain connections as biological (usually to avoid shaming the family name) when in fact a biological connection does not exist.
Assumptions and inferences
Assumptions made without sufficient evidence, such as assuming relationships based on proximity or common surnames, can lead to incorrect conclusions.
Language and cultural barriers
Misunderstandings or misinterpretations due to language differences, cultural naming conventions, or translation errors can lead to inaccuracies.
Genetic genealogy misinterpretations
Misinterpretations of DNA test results, such as misunderstanding the implications of shared DNA segments or misattributing genetic connections, can lead to incorrect conclusions about family relationships.
Unverified information
Data from other family trees or online sources that have not been checked and verified, yet included in a tree as a fact.
Understanding these potential sources of inaccuracies is crucial for being able to critically evaluate the information in a family tree, and making an informative and calculated decision before adding any information to your personal tree.
Correcting inconsistencies with MyHeritage
MyHeritage offers a powerful tool called Consistency Checker to help you find and correct inconsistencies in your family tree. The Consistency checker scans your entire family tree to identify mistakes and inconsistencies. The Consistency checker employs 37 different checks and verifications.
Examples of inconsistencies that will be pointed out when running the Consistency Checker:
Ages
- Child older than parent.
- Child born after the death of parent.
- Age of marriage.
- Age of death (too old) / Alive but too old.
- Parent too old / too young when having a child.
- Siblings with close age- two siblings who are not twins were born too close in time to be biological siblings.
- Died too young to be a spouse.
- Alive but too young to be a spouse.
- Large spouse age difference.
Facts in your ancestor's life
- Fact occurring after death / before birth.
- Multiple marriages of same couple.
- Multiple birth /death facts of same person.
Names
- Married name entered as maiden mane and vice versa.
- Married name and maiden name are identical- pointed out as inconsistency while it is possible that both had the same surname.
- A child's surname- inconsistency might show up from an English stand point while in certain cultures a child inherits the mother's surname.
- Inconsistent spelling of a name or surname- if the program detects a certain name
- that repeats itself it will flag the various spellings of that name.
- Siblings with same first name.
- Children with different last names.
- Inconsistent last name spelling.
- Inconsistent place name spelling.
Floaters
People you built profiles for, but did not connect to your tree. You may choose to leave them as such or connect them to your tree if you established a connection through your research.
Many of the various categories may be set to your preferences according to what is accepted in your culture or community. For example, female surname- in certain cultures the woman maintains her maiden name after marriage. In some instances, women may maintain their maiden name if they have an established position or business.
How to use the Consistency Checker tool
Log on to your family site on MyHeritage. Hover over Family Tree on the top bar, and from the drop-down menu choose the Consistency Checker.
On the consistency checker page, go to Settings to set fact ranges and limits of your choice
Go over the various facts and information to indicate the limits of your choice
Run the Consistency Checker for your tree.
In the event you have run the Consistency Checker before, the system will let you knw whether there have been changes to your tree since the last run. In this case, make sure you Recalculate Report first, so all new information is included.
You will be notified how many inconsistencies you have in your tree
Using other online trees for your research
Similar information across many family trees does not ensure accuracy. Information can be easily copied, leading to widespread repeated errors.
- Check if the family tree you found lists sources; make sure you review the original documents.
- Compare the sources. Multiple sources (websites, relatives, books) can provide conflicting information about family history. Assess the information and make sure it fits your family tree.
- Gather vital records (birth, marriage, death), census records, and church records to confirm information.
- Be meticulous in verifying identities, especially with common names.
- Evaluate the reliability of family books based on publication date, author, and firsthand knowledge.
In conclusion
The task of constructing an accurate family tree may feel overwhelming and time consuming, however, this is part of genealogy and a genealogist' obligation to his family, community and fellow genealogists.
While the wealth of available information can sometimes lead to discrepancies and inaccuracies, tools like the MyHeritage Consistency Checker are invaluable for navigating these challenges. By systematically identifying potential errors and inconsistencies, this tool empowers you to refine your research, ensuring that each connection is supported by reliable evidence.
The Consistency Checker may point out an error that is easily fixable, or it might be the a start of another adventure seeking an illusive date or family fact. In any case, although the Consistency Checker does not do the work for you, it saves you a great deal of time by detecting the error you might have missed, no matter the size of your tree.
See also
Explore more about ow to fix inconsistencies in your family tree
For learning more about Family Tree accuracy and it's importance, consider the following resources:
- Tune Up Your Family Tree with the MyHeritage Consistency Checker webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- How Accurate are Online Family Trees?- Genealogist's Star