The Genealogical Proof Standard

Understand the five-element standard that defines what makes a genealogical conclusion reliable — and how it applies to Puerto Rican research.

Intermediate

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What Is the Genealogical Proof Standard?

The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) is a set of five requirements developed by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) to define what makes a genealogical conclusion reliable.

It was created to address a fundamental problem: genealogy done carelessly produces conclusions that feel solid but aren’t. A name match in a database is not proof. An online family tree is not proof. Even a single document is not automatically proof — it depends on who recorded the information, when, and how close they were to the event.

The GPS gives researchers — at any level — a consistent way to evaluate their own work and communicate the strength of their conclusions.

The GPS is not a checklist you complete once. It is a standard of care applied throughout the research process.

The Five Elements

1. Reasonably Exhaustive Search

You must search all records that are reasonably available and likely to contain relevant information — not just the most convenient ones.

This means:

Records that directly name the person
Records naming close associates: witnesses at baptisms or weddings, neighbors, godparents, business partners
Records you searched and did not find the person in — because documented absence is also evidence

For Puerto Rican research: A reasonably exhaustive search for an ancestor in Rincón, Puerto Rico around 1900 would include the 1887 Spanish census, the 1899 Military Census, civil registration records from 1885 onward, and available church records. Stopping after finding one census entry is not sufficient.

2. Complete and Accurate Citations

Every fact you record must include a complete citation that identifies:

Who created the record (enumerator, registrar, informant)
What the record is (title, series, collection)
When it was created
Where it is held (repository, URL, access date for digital sources)
Where within the record the information appears (page, entry, image number)

Without a complete citation, another researcher — including your future self — cannot verify or build on your conclusion. The standard reference for genealogical citation is Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

3. Analysis and Correlation of Evidence

After collecting records, you must analyze what each one actually says — not what you hope it says — and compare them against each other.

Ask:

Do these records agree? If they conflict, why might they differ?
Was the information recorded by someone present at the event, or reported secondhand?
Do multiple independent records point to the same conclusion?

For Puerto Rican research: A man recorded as age 45 in the 1899 Military Census and age 56 in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census — an 11-year difference over 11 years — provides strong corroboration. A 17-year difference over the same period requires explanation.

4. Resolution of Conflicting Evidence

When records disagree, you must explain why one is more credible, using consistent criteria:

Original records generally outweigh copies and indexes
Primary information (from a direct witness) generally outweighs secondary information (reported secondhand)
Contemporary records generally outweigh records created long after the event

When two high-quality, independent sources conflict and resolution is not possible with available evidence, say so explicitly rather than forcing a conclusion.

5. Soundly Reasoned, Written Conclusion

Your conclusion must be written down. Unwritten conclusions cannot be evaluated, shared, or built upon.

The form depends on complexity:

Situation	Form
Simple fact, no conflict, direct evidence	Proof statement — one sentence
Minor conflict, straightforward resolution	Proof summary — one to three paragraphs
Indirect evidence, major conflicts, complex reasoning	Proof argument — detailed narrative with full analysis

The Three-Layer Analysis Framework

The GPS requires consistent vocabulary for analyzing records. Three separate layers must be distinguished — Sources, Information, and Evidence — each evaluated differently.

Sources — How Was This Record Created?

A source is the container: the document, record, or artifact you are examining.

Type	Definition	Example
Original	First recording, made at the time of the event	Original handwritten census ledger or civil registration book
Derivative	A copy, transcription, index, abstract, or digital image	FamilySearch index entry; microfilm image; typed transcription
Authored	A compiled work drawing on other sources	Published genealogy; county history; Wikipedia article

Critical: Never use “primary source” or “secondary source” when classifying a source. Sources are Original, Derivative, or Authored.

Most Puerto Rican records accessed online are Derivative — digital images of microfilm copies of originals. Discrepancies may have been introduced during microfilming, indexing, or transcription, not in the original record.

Information — Who Recorded This and How Did They Know?

Information is the content within a source — the claims, names, dates, and relationships recorded there.

Type	Definition	Example
Primary	Reported by a direct witness or participant	A person’s own testimony about their birthplace
Secondary	Reported by someone without direct knowledge	A spouse reporting a deceased husband’s birthplace from memory
Indeterminate	The informant’s relationship to the event is unknown	A census entry where it is unclear who provided the answers

Critical: “Primary” and “Secondary” apply only to Information — never to Sources or Evidence.

In census records, information is often mixed. An enumerator is a firsthand witness to the people in a household (primary information about their presence) but records ages and birthplaces as told to him by whoever answered the door (potentially secondary information).

Evidence — What Does This Information Prove?

Evidence is the role information plays in answering a specific research question.

Type	Definition	Example
Direct	Explicitly answers the research question	A birth certificate stating a person was born in Rincón, PR — when proving birthplace
Indirect	Implies an answer; requires inference	A person appearing in Rincón in two consecutive censuses — suggests residence but does not state birthplace
Negative	Expected information is absent from a source where it would appear if true	A name absent from the 1910 census — suggests the person may have died or migrated before 1910

One record can provide different types of evidence depending on what you are trying to prove.

Applying the GPS in Puerto Rican Research

The GPS is especially important for Puerto Rican genealogy because:

Records were created under multiple governments (Spanish colonial, U.S. Military, U.S. Federal), each with different purposes and standards
Most accessible records are Derivative — indexed and digitized versions of originals that may contain transcription errors
Key records are missing or restricted — the Diocese of Mayagüez, for example, currently restricts researcher access to parish registers, making corroboration from civil and census records essential
Names vary significantly across records due to Spanish naming customs, transliteration into English, and enumerator errors

Applying the GPS systematically — rather than accepting any single record as definitive — produces conclusions that hold up over time and can be shared with confidence.

Learn More

Resource	What It Offers
Board for Certification of Genealogists — Standards	The authoritative source for the GPS. Includes the full BCG Genealogy Standards publication.
Genealogy Explained — The Genealogical Proof Standard	A clear, accessible explanation of the GPS with visual summaries and practical examples.
FamilySearch Wiki — Genealogical Proof Standard	Overview and links to additional methodology resources.

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