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What Are You Trying To Prove?

As you near the end of any research project, one crucial step is writing a soundly reasoned conclusion. Often, we don’t know what to write or what to include. In that moment, we can turn to the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) as an outline of what to include. This makes writing much easier that staring at a blank screen. Here’s the simple process of crafting a conclusion that not only records your findings but also stands as a testament to the rigor and integrity of your research.


Why a Soundly Reasoned Conclusion Matters

You may be wondering, why bother writing a conclusion at all? After all, you've done the research, analyzed the evidence, and drawn your own conclusions—shouldn't that be enough? While it's true that reaching a personal understanding of your family's history is a significant achievement, a soundly reasoned conclusion serves a broader purpose. It provides a written record of your findings, interpretations, and reasoning—a crucial component of the GPS that ensures your research is transparent, reproducible, and verifiable by others. If you do not write it down, then the conclusion is only known to you - in your head. By writing it out, you prove the conclusion to others and leave a legacy.

What Are You Trying To Prove?

Having one goal of a writing project makes it much easier to stay focused and know what to write. Think about one research question and the answer you found. On a sticky note, write the conclusion your research revealed. Keep it very simple. For example, in a project to identify birth parents, you might write “Sue’s parents were John and Mary Smith.” If you solved the mystery of when an ancestor died, you may write “Mary died on 30 September 1848.”

Now, post that sticky note where you will see it throughout the writing process. Refer to it frequently to remind yourself that is what you are writing and proving. If it does not have anything to do with proving that statement, it should not be included here. I am often tempted to toss in facts I think are interesting. I look at that sticky note and realize I can write that fact up - but not here in this writing project.

Using the Genealogical Proof Standard to Know What To Write

The beauty of the GPS is that it will not only guide us during the research process, but it will also keep us on track in writing up the proof for the answer to our research question. Let’s look at each component and see how they help in writing your conclusion:

Thorough Research: Your conclusion should reflect the depth and breadth of your research efforts, acknowledging the sources you've consulted and the methods you've used to gather information. Documenting the scope of your research demonstrates that you've left no stone unturned in your quest for knowledge about your ancestors.

Note Sources: As you craft your conclusion, be sure to provide complete and accurate notes for the sources you've used. Your citations should allow others to trace your steps, verify your findings, and evaluate the reliability of your sources. Remember, the test of a good citation is to ask, "did I offer enough information that someone else could find this same source?"

Analysis and Reasoning: Your conclusion should reflect a thorough analysis and correlation of the evidence you've gathered. You should explain how all the evidence you found supports the research answer you found. Discuss the patterns, connections, and insights that you discovered in your research, and highlight any significant findings or discoveries.

Resolve Conflicts: Conflicts and contradictions are a natural part of genealogical research, but they must be addressed and resolved before you can confidently draw conclusions. In your conclusion, describe any conflicts you discovered. Then, explain how you weighed out the options and came to believe one over another.

Written Conclusion: Finally, the heart of your conclusion should be a soundly reasoned, written interpretation of the evidence—a summary of your findings that shows thoughtful analysis, critical thinking, and logical reasoning. This conclusion along with the other four components of the GPS need to be written in order to be considered proof. Otherwise, all your hard work and research answers stay in your head and remain just thoughts, not proof.

Writing a soundly reasoned conclusion based on the Genealogical Proof Standard is a crucial step in the research process—one that ensures your findings are grounded in evidence, transparently documented, and accessible to others. Be thorough, meticulous, and methodical as you write. By adhering to the principles of the GPS and crafting a conclusion that reflects the depth and rigor of your research, you'll not only enrich your own understanding of your family's history but also contribute to the collective knowledge of others who are researching the same family.

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