Unfortunately, where we once wrote letters requesting copies of documents, we now locate records and digitally scanned materials online, copy or download them, add them to our databases, file printouts, and accept the data we find as gospel. The Internet should not have changed our methodical and scholarly approach to the evaluation of data. We should still consider the nature of the records we encounter, i.e., distinguish between primary records and secondary records. Primary records are those that were created at or near the time an event occurred, and that are therefore more likely to be accurate. The distinction between primary and secondary records is critical in establishing the veracity of the evidence we encounter about our ancestors.
Primary records are our best sources.
Secondary records can still be used, albeit sparingly. They may confirm the information found in primary records, or multiple secondary records with the same data may be considered as a group and used as evidence. Types of Genealogical Information on the Internet Most of the genealogical information on the Internet is secondary and should be viewed with some skepticism. Some, however, may be primary. Let's differentiate between these two sets of materials.