10 Common Genealogy Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even experienced researchers make these mistakes. Learn the 10 most common genealogy errors - from unsourced facts to name assumptions - and how GEDminer helps you catch them.
1. Not citing sources
The single biggest mistake in genealogy is adding facts without recording where they came from. A family tree without sources is fiction - you can't verify anything, and you can't help others evaluate your research.
Fix: For every fact, record the source: "Birth certificate, County Clerk, dated 15 Mar 1892" is far better than nothing. GEDminer's Data Quality Score penalises unsourced individuals, helping you prioritise which records need citations.
2. Copying other people's trees without verification
Online family trees are full of errors. Copying someone else's tree wholesale is the fastest way to pollute your own research. Common problems include fabricated royal lineages, wrong-person merges, and unsourced speculation presented as fact.
Fix: Treat other trees as clues, not evidence. Verify every claim against original records before adding it to your tree.
3. Assuming name spellings were consistent
Before widespread literacy, names were recorded phonetically by clerks, census takers, and priests. "Schmidt" might appear as "Smith", "Smit", or "Schmitt" in different records. Even within a single person's lifetime, their name might be spelled five different ways.
Fix: Search with wildcards and phonetic variants. GEDminer uses Soundex matching to help find alternate spellings in your tree.
4. Trusting ages in census records
Census ages are notoriously inaccurate. People rounded their ages, didn't know their exact birth year, or deliberately misrepresented their age. A person might be listed as 30 in one census and 38 in the next.
Fix: Calculate birth year ranges from multiple records rather than relying on a single source. GEDminer's Vital Sharpener helps identify date inconsistencies.
5. Ignoring women's maiden names
Women frequently disappear from research because their maiden names aren't recorded. Yet maiden names unlock entire family lines - grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Fix: Always record maiden names when known. Search marriage records, which typically list the bride's father. Look for mothers' maiden names on death certificates and baptism records.
6. Skipping collateral relatives
Many researchers focus exclusively on direct ancestors, ignoring siblings, in-laws, and cousins. But collateral relatives often hold the key to breakthroughs - a great-uncle's obituary might name the village your family came from.
Fix: Research siblings and their families. GEDminer's Kinship Explorer helps you map out extended family networks and identify under-researched branches.
7. Not checking for duplicate individuals
As trees grow, duplicates accumulate - especially after merging data from multiple sources. Two "John Smith b. 1845" entries might be the same person with slightly different dates.
Fix: Regularly check for duplicates. GEDminer's Duplicate Finder compares names, dates, and locations to flag potential matches for merging.
8. Mixing up people with the same name
In many communities, naming conventions meant multiple people shared the same name. There might be three "James Wilson" living in the same parish at the same time - father, son, and cousin.
Fix: Use multiple identifiers: exact dates, locations, occupations, spouse names, and neighbours. A cluster of evidence distinguishes individuals far better than a name alone.
9. Not backing up your data
Online services can change terms, shut down, or lose data. If your only copy of your tree is on a subscription website, you're one corporate decision away from losing decades of work.
Fix: Export your GEDCOM file regularly and store copies in multiple locations. A GEDCOM file is your portable backup that works with any genealogy software.
10. Not analysing your tree for gaps
Many researchers add new people without stepping back to see what's missing. A tree might have great coverage of one line but be paper-thin on another.
Fix: Use GEDminer's Research Suggestions and Gap Detector to identify where your tree needs attention. The Overview dashboard shows demographic imbalances that highlight neglected branches.