Under Construction

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Objectives

This project will attempt to establish the 'acceptable' references for historical profiles on Geni.

In genealogy, all researchers aim to uncover and correctly interpret 'primary sources' to establish the facts. Most often, information is drawn from 'secondary sources' or 'conjectures'. Various scientific disciplines come into play in the attempt to establish historical fact, such as the study of place names, naming traditions, etc.

Geni is not an academic platform. Information is drawn by users from family histories and public registers. Very often, users rely on previous work by genealogists. For 'historical figures', especially those in medieval times and before, we must rely on the research work done by academics and historians.

Beyond the facts of primary sources, academics may have diverging theories. Sometimes, their theories may complement one another. Every historian will admit that their theories only hold as long as there is no primary source that contradicts their theories.

This project will attempt to reference the acceptable sources and theories, in order to facilitate our genealogical work around historical figures. This should always be open for debate. But, it will also help to avoid confusion and to eliminate 'exotic theories' from Geni when no concrete proof or acceptable argumentation can be brought to support their veracity.

Participation

This should be a highly collaborative project (a hundred opinions will give us a better version of the truth than a single opinion). If you wish to collaborate actively, please ask any time and you'll be added to the collaborator list.

Chapters

1. Introduction
2. Workstream Index and Status
3. Background information (under construction)
4. Credentials (under construction)