GPS

Genealogical Proof Standard

There are five facets to the Genealogical Proof Standard* or GPS as you will hear it referred to.
Simply stated they are:

1)  A reasonably exhaustive search
2)  Complete and accurate citation of sources
3)  Analysis and correlation of data collected
4)  Resolution of conflicting evidence
5)  A soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion **

A reasonably exhaustive search

Many new researchers will ask, "how much searching do I have to do in order for it to be considered reasonably exhaustive?  Or how many documents do I need to collect in order to prove a fact or event?  The answer is there is no magic number or time limit.  You must search until you are confident there is enough evidence to prove the claim that is being made.  This can vary greatly based on the type of information you are able to collect and contributing factors like who the original informant was.

Complete and accurate citation of sources

Ugh...citations.  The last time I had to do those was in school and I didn't like them then either.  Well, I wish I could tell you I found a way to make them fun, but that would be a lie.  However, they are necessary in order for us to be able to find the sources of our information should we need to review them again.  Also, they are essential to others who are researching the same ancestors we are.  By citing our sources accurately, we can all help each other find documents more easily so spend less time searching and more time analyzing.

Analysis and correlation of data collected

So once you have a bunch of information, what exactly do you do with it.  How do you know if what is written in these documents is even true.  You need to analyze it and compare the various bits of information in each document to each other.  Understanding when a document was created, how close to the event it was created and who the informant was are all vital pieces to the puzzle.  Only by considering all of the context surrounding the documents found will you be able to prove a claim.

Resolution of conflicting evidence

Oh, crap!  I have two documents that completely contradict each other and I'm sure they are both referring to my ancestor.  Now what do I do...draw straws, roll dice, guess?   No, none of those will suffice.  It's time to put that analysis to work for you and based on the evidence, make a determination about what information is accurate.  After all, a person can't have been born on three different dates, but you very well could find three documents that each display a different birth date for the same person.

A soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion

It's time to wrap up all your work in a tidy little bow.  You've completed all this hard work and have finally formed a conclusion.  Recording it is essential because by the time you've completed this process for four or five other research questions, you'll have long forgotten how you came to the conclusion for this one.  And, you don't want to have to work through it all again, do you?  So, write it down or type it up.  It doesn't have to be a novel - just a few short sentences about how you met each of the above standards and what conclusion you reached should suffice.  Keep in mind, though, that if another piece of evidence is found at a later date, you should re-analyze and determine if you need to revise your conclusion.


*   Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Proof (Arlington, Virginia: National Genealogical Society, 2013). [Book available from the publisher at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/mastering_genealogical_proof , also available in Kindle format through Amazon.com]
** Board for Certification of Genealogists, The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual (Orem, Utah: Ancestry, 2000): 1-2.