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'''''Accuracy.''''' Most of the time the census got it right, but . . . Ages on a census and the spelling of names are especially prone to error whether by mistake or deliberate. Old immigration dates on a census may have been remembered incorrectly. A member of a racial minority may have hesitated to reveal his or her race to a census taker. Tired census takers may have taken sloppy notes, or struggled to understand a thick foreign accent. Censuses are an important source but should be compared with all other censuses and other documents before relying too heavily on their information. | '''''Accuracy.''''' Most of the time the census got it right, but . . . Ages on a census and the spelling of names are especially prone to error whether by mistake or deliberate. Old immigration dates on a census may have been remembered incorrectly. A member of a racial minority may have hesitated to reveal his or her race to a census taker. Tired census takers may have taken sloppy notes, or struggled to understand a thick foreign accent. Censuses are an important source but should be compared with all other censuses and other documents before relying too heavily on their information. | ||
'''''Corroboration.''''' The best tools to bring to bear on analyzing censuses are the consistency of the data when compared with other censuses and other sources. Do '''''independent''''' sources created without reference to each other agree on the facts?<ref>Thomas W. Jones, "Proved?: Five Ways to Prove Who Your Ancestor Was" (printed handout for a lecture presented to library staff, 23 October 2003, | '''''Corroboration.''''' The best tools to bring to bear on analyzing censuses are the consistency of the data when compared with other censuses and other sources. Do '''''independent''''' sources created without reference to each other agree on the facts?<ref>Thomas W. Jones, "Proved?: Five Ways to Prove Who Your Ancestor Was" (printed handout for a lecture presented to library staff, 23 October 2003, FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City), 1.</ref> Are there any contradictory sources? If so, can you explain the contradictions? | ||
'''''Likelihood of events.''''' Logically, could the events described on the census have really happened in the order suggested when compared to other sources? Does census information reflect what really happened? | '''''Likelihood of events.''''' Logically, could the events described on the census have really happened in the order suggested when compared to other sources? Does census information reflect what really happened? | ||
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