29 December 2014 EE's discussions of many materials—from artifacts to databases, from records to digital images, and even traditions—encourage us to consider the provenance of the material we use. Simply put, the term means "chain of custody" or "history of ownership." Judging the validity of information provided by a source requires us to ...

26 December 2014 Jack Webb, the famed Dragnet detective, consistently called for “Just the facts, Ma’am, just the facts.” That stance, a wise one for detectives, has its counterpart among historical researchers who recognize the difference between documented “facts,” speculation, and interpretation.

As we gather around our tables and hearths this Christmas season, we'll hear family tales of all sorts. ... How do we prove what the documentable facts might be, what is demonstrably wrong, and what is realistically possible?

20 December 2014 Nominal record linkage—"the process by which items of information about a named individual may be associated with each other in a coherent whole"— is an issue historians and IT specialists have wrestled with for nearly a half-century. ...

17 December 2014 When transcribing, abstracting, or making notes from any source, it’s wise to follow one of those classic Rules of Three that have governed research and writing for longer than most of us have been alive ...

14 December 2014 You have just found a 19th-century court minute. Being a "minute," the record tells you very little: the case label and the fact that the case was dismissed. The label is this: "John Jones, for the use and benefit of Sam Smith vs. Billy Brown." What do you think that case was all about? ...

11 December 2014 As researchers, we often are too trusting—especially when transcriptions are “officially” prepared ...

5 December 2014 As historical researchers, our role has much in common with prosecutors in a court case. When we search historical records, we search for information we can use as evidence. ...

2 December 2014 In every piece of dependable research, we see eight qualities ...