Anthony's Genealogical Musings

  One of the most important aspects of compiling an accurate and rich family tree is having an understanding of, and utilising, both primary and secondary sources. These types of sources are the bedrock of credible genealogical research, and they offer a combination of direct information and contextualisation. The following paragraphs will discuss what these types of sources are and why they are incredibly important for any genealogist, both novices ands experts alike.  What are Primary Sources?   Within genealogical research, primary sources refer to those original documents or records that were created at the time the event occurred or by a person who was directly involved in the event. These include the likes of birth certificates, marriage licenses, and census records, as well as a range of other archival documents. The credibility of said primary sources is generally considered high because they offer first-hand information that was more often than not recorded by someone with