company guide
Research methodology
Short answer
Our research methodology follows the Genealogical Proof Standard published by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Every ancestral claim in our guides rests on multiple independent sources, cited in Evidence Explained format, with conflicts resolved in writing.
- Genealogical Proof Standard — 5 criteria applied to every conclusion.
- Evidence Explained citation format — Elizabeth Shown Mills.
- Primary vs. secondary source weighting — contemporaneous evidence outweighs later reports.
- DNA as confirmation, not identification.
- Living-person privacy applied by default.
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