Ethics in Genealogy - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

well referenced source material denied. What can I do?

yongguang — 31 Jul 2008 3:31:35 GMT

Through a web search a couple years ago I found a document that adds another generation to the previous patriarch of that line, and also includes two brothers for my gen 1, his gen 2. Needless to say I was very excited about this info, especially as it seemed to be well-sourced. I emailed the guy whose site it was, and he said that he had only researched up to my gen 3 or 4. He seemed completely unaware of this document on his website, and not too interested in corresponding either. Months later, I checked the site again and the document was no longer there. I have a copy on my computer.

Any ideas about what I can or should do? Advice, pls.

Mike Cogan

2nd marriages to 1st wife's relative!

kev1996 — 8 Oct 2007 7:58:46 GMT

I came across a curious thing the other day where a male ancestor's first wife died and he ended up marrying a relative of hers. A day later I found another case where this happened (this time a marriage to a 1st wife's sister). How common was this kind of thig? Do you think they would have done this so that the children (past and future) would have all stayed within the same family?

Are Ancestry Family Trees a dumping ground?

mafic — 28 Sep 2007 9:15:21 GMT

Don't get me wrong, I love the historical documents and the factual data available on Ancestry.com, but I have found so much obiviously wrong data on family trees I've searched that they are of absolutely no use to me.

Several years ago I made my family data available. Much to my dismay I found errors as I continued my research but was unable to edit my data online. To add to the frustration Ancestry tried to help me by adding possible family members.

Just recently I found a mess of my family with my grandfather listed as his older brother's father and the birth and death dates of my grandmother, his wife. To add to this the father listed for my grandfather is one that Ancestry appended years ago, has a totally different last name, and was born 120 years before the listed birthday of my grandfather. Who, by the way is, shown 9 years younger than his listed son, remember, his older brother.

I know that this tree was just accepted as fact, after all it's on the internet, and entered into the family tree software of the user. If this kind of junk keeps up no one will ever use these trees.

Beyond my Sicilian, only share with family, bent, it makes me crazy because I have found family from things they've put on the web, but I don't want to share anything because of the trash that it becomes. These are people who lived, loved, worked and died and I am here because of them. I speak their names with reverence, I tell their tales so they are not forgotten, they have a history and we should respect them and get their information correct!

Frustrated from family's lack of interest or help

Frank_Mastronardi — 18 Dec 2007 1:38:57 GMT

I've been working on my tree for a few years now and most of it is through info gotten from relatives I've questioned.

Recently I have started doing birth record searches through LDS family history centers. I've found a cpl of bith records from some ancestors and was very excited. When I mentioned it to my family most didnt seem to care. It seems once the get past their grand parents generation they dont really care.

Similarly I've found some long lost relatives online and contacted them also and exchange emails regularly but when I ask them specific questions they either ignore that email or give me vague "I'll get back to you" responses.

Whats really frustrating to me is that when we have some family gathering I usually will print out a fairly large family tree chart (typically 3ft x 12ft) and everyone loves it.

resonable protection of data

rebholzg — 25 Mar 2008 6:30:58 GMT

I'm in the process of working on an index for posting online to a local research site, and also submitting the research in paper form to my local public library. I enjoy sharing the information I collect, but I'm a little disturbed by stories of mass copying and selling the information, or posting of the entire body of work without permission or acknowledgment. Even copying the non-copywrited information just to have handy for reference (or paid research service) cheats the local library collection out of due credit.

I've addressed the aspect of how my data appears online, and I feel comfortable with that. The information is collated with other information on that site so can't be simply copied and pasted en mass without a substantial amount of work.

My printed version of this index will have a little more data, and appear in a slightly different format. I know I can easily watermark the pages and I've done that for other work. But for this more important index [to me], I'm also thinking of printing it on colored paper to "discourage" mass-photocopying. Any technical alternatives for printing self-published data?

Gary Rebholz
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Need advice on dealing with local historical/genealogical society...

hrcrtr — 25 Jan 2008 9:00:08 GMT

A local historical/genealogical society has information posted on their website that appears to be inaccurate. This information was provided by the referenced individual's daughter, and I've seen this information cited multiple places including ancestry.com. It was also included in a history of the county this society represents.

I came across some documentation showing what I believe is the accurate information. The documented information makes much more sense from a geographical perspective and additional research resulted in additional sources with this same new information.

I had previously emailed the directors of the organization with some questions about the family to which this individual belongs. I had explained I am relatively new to genealogy and they were very friendly and helpful. This society has a dedicated page on their website where they claim to be open to corrections or suggestions of new information so I felt comfortable sharing what I had found. When I very politely provided a portion of the documentation I found to them for their evaluation they stopped responding to me. Two follow-up emails over several weeks went unanswered.

This has bothered me for several months and I have no idea what to do. I am relatively confident the documentation I've found is correct and the misinformation is simply an innocent error on the daughter's part or the person taking her statement. I realize the printed history cannot be corrected, but I hate that current/future researchers will continue to access undocumented and very probably inaccurate information when researching this family.

I welcome any ideas on what I can/should do in this case...

When someone passes your info off as their own.

MaryTodisco — 5 May 2007 12:18:25 GMT

Actually, what I needed was a place to vent, but maybe someone can offer me some advise. About two months ago, I responded to someone's message and it turned out we were in the same family line. This person informed me that he had 6 gens of the family and would I like him to send them. Of course I said yes, but when I received it, it was only the barest minimim. In the meantime, I have done extensive research on the family, well over two and half years on this family line, spent money to order birth, death, and marriage certicates, etc. I have over 300 people as I like to do collaterals as well. There are accurate birth, death, and marriage dates. So, I shared with him.

A few days ago I happened to check out the message board for that family line. My search is complete in that line and now I am looking for other ancestors. I find someone looking for that info and write her back. She is very new to genealogy. I gave her some info she had asked for and advised her that my family and hers were linked back in the 1700's. What I got in return was a curt "I don't feel that our families are linked as mine are from...." then she proceeds to tell me that she has been in contact with someone who has done extensive research on the family line and guess who it turned out to be. Now, I don't mind my info being shared, that's why I am so willing to share with others, but don't take credit and say you did all the work. This woman actually thinks I am a beginner and wished me well in my search. I am angry. Has this happened to anyone else?

Qs on copyright restrictions -- quoting or copying old books

newonash — 16 Feb 2007 4:41:53 GMT

What copyright restrictions are there on quoting from (or attaching PDF or similar copies of) old books, e.g., A Genealogy of the Descendants of Alexander Alvord (1908), or the Vermont Historical Gazetteer, in online message board messages or online family trees? Is one free to do so after a certain number of years have gone by since the publication? Is one limited to quoting a limited amount from the book? If so, what would be the limit? Is there a legal difference between indicating that Example Alvord was born anytime in anywhere, USA, and quoting from a book that states: "#555,555. EXAMPLE ALVORD (Father, Grandfather), born anywhere, USA, anytime"?

DNA and ethics

vancehawkins1952 — 29 Oct 2006 7:34:41 GMT

Illegible gravestones

swolfy — 16 Aug 2007 4:45:19 GMT

Hi board
I recently read in the Rootweb newsletter that someone suggested using colored sand, wetted with a spray bottle, to press into the impressions left by long faded words on hard to read headstones to better reveal the letters. Does this sound benign or would it damage the stone in any way?
I do cemetery documentation and I would really like to be able to do something about the stones that are illegible.
I would find it a serious ethical offense to harm a gravestone in any way!
Thanks in advance.
Shawna
Grand Rapids, MI

need a little advice

nikki — 9 Jun 2005 12:49:37 GMT

I need help. I have posted a query to find a relative that I know little about but very close to genetically. When I posted the query it was on one of those off the wall message boards that I thought probally would never hear a response. Well, to my complete and utter shock I got a response about 6 monthes later. So far I have been the one asking questions and they have all been answered correctly but I am afraid since the information that I do know can be found on the web it is easy to find. The person I am talking to is just really good on the internet and is a fraud,but they are playing by rules of the game right now with no more information about me but my first name. Can anyone help with a way to possibly be able to tell who this person is really who they say they are without endangering myself of meeting them in person (or a dna test for the moment?)?

need advice:about writing to undertaker -someone who died in 1950's

crystal — 11 Jul 2006 2:17:16 GMT

I figure someone out there might have experience where I do not. First venture into grandpa's cousin in hopes of moving line forward. Found cemetery, have burial date- 1953. Anyway, as I am not a direct descendant, but do share the same last name, its less than 72 years, am I able to request of the funeral home information (real birthdate,middle name,last address,survivor or who paid for the burial?) In addition, I don' know the date of death, but figure its within 3 days of burial- am I able to request a death certificate from the state or county? this would be NJ. I really appreciate your time. There is a gap in the newspaper for this area, so no obit is available. 1st venture in moving a line forward, been dealing backwards with much success. thanks

Sharing Family Information

Linda Conn — 17 Aug 2006 4:14:36 GMT

I relate the following because checking sources and privacy issues should never be ignored in our quest for information about our ancestors. I apologize, in advance, for it's length.

I was browsing one of the "well known" family tree sites today and I saw my father and mother in law's names. That surprised me, because I'm the only family member doing genealogy and I have never put my tree on the web for all the world to see!

His birth and death places are wrong, as is his birthdate. Her birthdate is wrong, and her death date and place are wrong. I know this because she is still alive.
Someone of the same name as my mother in law did die in Georgia in 1997, but the SSDI gave the issue state as Georgia, and my mother in law has never lived in Georgia!

As I clicked my way through the information, I found my name and my husband's name. This means someone that I shared family information with, privately, about 9 years ago, has put up my name without my permission.

Need Advice- Forbidden to research husband's side

SimplyDunn — 7 May 2006 3:20:32 GMT

I am fairly new to the Genealogy hobby, having only been doing research for about 3 years, and I need advice regarding ethics. I have my own family traced back 7 or more generations, depending on the line, and have started working on my husband's side, with his blessing and encouragement. But when we started asking questions of his father and paternal grandmother, we kept getting mixed stories, inaccurate dates and places, etc... Sensing their unwillingness, I took what I had and pulled a lot of information off the internet...finding the usual family stuff..a child born out of wedlock, a divorce, etc... I did not say anything to them about what I'd found, but asked for clarification on an ancestors name and was met with a barrage of insults about digging up other people's trash, trying to break apart the family and putting my nose where it didn't belong. This came as a complete shock as we have otherwise a great relationship. I stopped my research and waited a few months, until one day we were talking and the conversation turned to family names. My husband and his father share a name, and he wondered if his grandfather or anyone else had been named that. My in-laws then flew apart and absolutely forbid me to look any further into their side of the family.
So, my dilemma is this... I have only one child and she has only one father...who has parents who are being impossible. Do I now have to completely forget about my daughter's paternal ancestors just because they are unreasonable? Should I wait until they are passed to research that side? And can enough information be found via other sources if I never have the opportunity to speak with them and look at family papers?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am heartsick over this.

May I Rant??!!!

rose17931 — 11 Dec 2004 3:21:05 GMT

Hey folks....I am so very frustrated.......while I am now actually getting myself to the Dept. of Archives and seeing "true" facts, I have spent much of the past year getting lots of good info from the internet.

BUT.....my frustration is with the folks who have listed their "genealogy" on Rootsweb or other sites, numerous times....in other words, they just seem to keep posting new genealogies....and not correcting the ones they've already posted which are in error!

I've noticed the dates when people go in and "update". They don't seem to have umpteen listings....

Is there a way one can ask that their redundant listings be removed and just retain the correct listing?

I know now that these are only guides....and to check the facts for yourself......but so much of the listings seem to come from disks or CD's that have the wrong info.....and folks just plop them up on the boards and go happily away.......

Rant over!!!!

Just want to say that if it weren't for these type query boards, I would never have gotten as far as I have with my research. I still consider myself very much a "newbie", but am trying to learn!!!

Internet Genealogy

marey3 — 19 Apr 2005 1:06:22 GMT

I have experienced some of the same things that others have regarding family trees and other information on line.
Genealogy is extremely fun to do one's own research. Using the internet is helpful for finding resources for my books and to give to those in my family who I can trust. The internet has some good sources like what libraries have the research, what genealogical societies have, etc.
Some cannot prove that they are related to me will collect and place other people's information without their permission and disrespectly refuse to delete the files, especially involving my father and closely related living family members. Some of them will also just place any names they find in the census, civil war records and guess the location where to place the names, etc. and place star marks next to their names.
I found an excellent respectful website to help me in my research and writing about my family.
http.://homepages.rootsweb.com/~cregan/privacy.htm
also you can get this information plus more at
cindislist.com, then homepage construction kit
then click on privacy issues
also read the genealogical standards and guidelines by the National Genealogical Society.
Would especially like to hear from people who have experienced the same issues.

ethics as a practical matter-- posting others' information

barbarastewart43 — 28 May 2006 3:02:47 GMT

Hi All,
I have a convoluted question that I hope you can help me with. I have several rather extensive sets of data from distant cousins that I would like to add into my Family Tree Maker. The data seems very good, and I really need it incorporated into my file in order to progress with my own research. I have not, up to this point, published my tree on the web. However, I might want to do this in the future.

Can you give me any suggestions how to:
a) appropriately cite the additional information from other 'cousins' in FTM so that it's understood that it didn't originaly come from me; and
b) incorporate the data into FTM in such a way that I can separate it out at some later date if I need to.

The whole point of adding the data into my file now is to try to verify their information. But, I won't do that if its really unwise, or if it's impossible to get it separated (in order to post my trees to websites etc.) at a later date.

Any thoughts, ideas, or opinions would really be appreciated.
Thanks!

Privacy law in Canada

LEGAL NOTICE — 9 Jun 2005 8:52:19 GMT

It is illegal to post information to a site in Canada where the person was born less than 100 years ago, or, where a marriage took place less than 80 years ago, or where a death took place less than 70 years ago.
Thought I would let you know. These laws were invented to protect children from pedophiles and also to protect people from fraud. If you find information posted that does not conform with this law ask them to remove it. If they dont contact your member of parliament in Canada.

Cemetery online release of list- ethical dilemma

clbh — 18 Aug 2005 11:18:33 GMT

As you all know, we that work on our family trees depend on cemetery information. If you, like me, don't live in the state your researching this can be a huge problem. Thanks to the generosity of those who are willing to do look ups or who have walked cemeteries and put info on cemetery websites, I for one have been able to break through many a brick wall.
Ok so now to my point. I do look ups for anyone who asks at our local library for the city cemetery here where I live. Recently I found out that this book was for sale. It was put together by local people belonging to our counties historical society and is in it's second printing. When I called to inquire about this book the women said that they understand doing look ups for people but after all they wanted to sell their book etc etc. I do understand that this was a lot of hard work for those who walked the cemeteryand put this book together I also now understand why the city employee who has ALL of these records in a computer data base hesitates to put them on their website even though it would be a keystroke and then all those in need of these records for their family tree research would have them available.
I don't want to step on toes in this small town but I am tempted to not purchase the book, re-walk the cemetery myself and put this information online for others to use. It's a large cemetery and would take quite awhile but it seems to me it's the principle here. Why should a group of locals have control over this city cemetery. If I spent $35 for a book on every cemetery I've had to research.........well I think you get my drift. Opinions please.
Thanks,
Candace

Another website vs. privacy question

JulieKnoll6 — 10 Aug 2005 5:12:52 GMT

Hi Everyone,

I have just recently started researching my family history, and I am building a website to share the information with other family members. I am not posting any birth, death or other such facts about any living individuals. But I am wondering about names. I know this is kind of split, some of you think it's okay to put names of the living, others do not.

However, here's what makes my question different. What if I password-protect the website? That way only people who have the password can access the site. Do you think it's okay to put the names then? Some of the individuals, I have no idea how to contact them to get permission.

Also this would include photos of a couple people when they were small children. Is it okay to post those pictures? The pictures include my grandfather, and are very important to me (all my grandparents died before I was born, so I know very little about them), and I would really like to share them with other members my family. The pictures would be password-protected also.

Please let me know what your opinions on this are.

Thanks!
Julie

Genealogical Research ~21st Century Style

Kathy Roberts — 1 Jul 2005 12:08:06 GMT

Has it now become an acceptable part of standard genealogical practice/research to simply appropriate information from the personal website of a family one is not even remotely related to, "join" it to one's own family and then submit the totally unrelated "joined" families to another website ?

Just think what Gustave Anjou could have done with a computer.........

Kathy Roberts
VA

http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/comstandsound.htm

using others information

Terri — 25 Oct 2004 7:57:05 GMT

I am looking for a general opinion on a few things regarding researching family trees.

1. Is it acceptable to post, on a website, the names of living persons without their permission?

2.a. Is it acceptable to post information obtained by others even though the recipient was told never to post due to info being unverified?
b. What if that material is easily proven to be from another's research and program?

3. If actual author insists on removing material, would an ethical person do so?

My answers: 1. absolutely never. 2.a. no b. do not post 3. absolutely yes

Good manners in requesting information

donnaz8 — 30 Apr 2006 7:24:35 GMT

I have found a couple websites where people posted their family trees and I see info that I would like to add to mine. I am brand new to this and would like to make sure I use proper manners:
1) Is it considered acceptible to ask someone (a total stranger- but a distant relative!!) to send me a file of their data? (The part that pertains to me, that is). I know they could say no, but is it ever impolite to ask?
2) What if I don't have any additional data to share back? They list all that I know on deceased relatives though I may know a little about living ones (not sure all living relatives would want anything posted about themselves)..
3) They also have photos posted. Should I ask permission to copy them off their web site? May I ask them if they have higher resolution scans they could email/send on disk?
4) Is it customary to either pay them for the time spent sending files/pictures, or would more of a thank-you gift be appropriate.
5) If I have pictures of some deceased relatives that they might be interested in, who should I get permissions from before sharing- knowing they would end up on the internet? The sons/daughters? Only one son or daughter? No one if I legally have the picture?

Thank you for any assistance!!!! I would like to be non-offensive as I am learning!

Thorny ethical question

Aaron Howard — 9 Jan 2003 8:55:26 GMT

I am seeking some help in deciding how to note parentage information on a distant relative when I share my genealogy work among family.

A group of young children in my family were adopted by their aunt and uncle when it became apparent that their mother was preparing to abandon them. The children were quite young, and the entire generation was adopted without splitting them up. As far as is known, the children had no further contact with their mother.

I have heard from one of the children, and she feels quite strongly that her adoptive parents are her "real" parents. She and her siblings are senior citizens now, and this one relative has helped me to some extent with my research. She's asked me to please note that her adoptive parents are her real parents in any information that I choose to share with the family (obviously, I wouldn't share specific information about living people on the internet).

I don't know how to resolve this problem. She's quite obviously asking me to lie, but only to preserve the emotional bond she's had with her adoptive parents, both of whom have since died. The adoption was certainly not a well-known fact among family members of her generation, as I have since accidentally found out.

Any advice?

To tell or not to tell

eugenia26 — 8 Feb 2004 8:45:37 GMT

I have a problen in I have met an 86+ year old woman in serarch of her grand fathers parents. This young man happened to be bonded to an ancestor on our side at a young age. This ancestor on our side wrote many letters to his daughter and mentions this young man in them, he is also listed as living with him in a 1870 census. In one of the letters he writes that the boy ran away. He also states " I took him out of the lowest-down stock of people in the world. His mother had had four negro children before she had him." It goes on a liitle bit more but it appears the woman was not married and most likley had relations with many men in the area. This young man was white. While in my own family there are children of color that were born and given there freedom back in late 1700 and early 1800 my own mother age 77 does not like to here of this. This woman has been searcing for more information but this will lead her to another brick wall and may not be something she would like to here. I feel guilty that I know of this information and don't know if I should tell her or not and how her family would take it. Thanks

living person privacy

BettyThompson16 — 29 Oct 2004 8:56:43 GMT

About ready to publish our family history but concern about living person privacy has me worried. Know that there are computer tools to block the data on website, but does anyone have a sample form for "living relative consent to publish form"? or ideas on formatting such a form?

Website Advice

AdamDunn67 — 29 Nov 2004 7:32:45 GMT

Hi,

Have been at this for 1 year and I am building my website. I have lots of birth certificates, census images etc.

Can I incorporate these in my website or will I be infringing copyright? or is it just bad form?

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

Adam

Need advice on how to proceed

Hardyx — 4 Dec 2003 5:03:28 GMT

While this does not appear to be a very active category, it seems like the best place to pose my question. I hope that I am right.

I learned a couple of years ago that my father had a half-brother that no one has ever mentioned. I learned this by tracing the leads on my grandfather's marriage license when he married my grandmother. He had had a previous marriage, and after obtaining the divorce records, I learned that following their separation, a child was born (the first marriage lasted less than one year).

Now several years later, I believe I have found the ex-wife, her parents, her siblings, and her new family after remarrying. The eldest of her children (fathered by my grandfather) is also listed in the census records. Contacting the family (the half-brother may still be alive, plus there are descendants) could verify the information I have found. However, it occurs to me that the half-brother may have been raised believing his real father had raised him.

I am unsure of the ethical and legal implications of this situation and need some advice on how I should proceed, if at all. Thanks for your consideration.

ethics in retrieving courthouse date

resa2rana — 5 Jun 2004 3:21:48 GMT

i was contacted by the husband of a very distant relative...he is very much involved in obtaining information of any type regarding living relatives. some of this information is very sensitive, although court records. he claims this is for his genealogy records...i feel that this invades the privacy of all living ..am i wrong?

Giving credit where credit is due

Chris Printz — 28 Sep 2003 4:36:09 GMT

Has anyone ever sent someone their family tree and found out later that it was posted to a public site without giving credit for the work that you've done? This is probably my biggest "pet peeve" about giving anyone information.

Sincerely,

Chris
Warren, MI

Do I have Rights?

raevon — 4 Sep 2003 11:55:52 GMT

I recently found a museum which had some letters (about a 20-30 year span) written by my great great grandfather. I paid them and received photocopies of the letters which I immensely enjoyed reading. I wish to transcribe them and make them into a book. However, does the museum own the words within the letters or just the letters themselves? Anyone know how to research this? Thanks.

Privacy Law Question

Anonymous — 10 May 2003 1:47:40 GMT

I have a not so nice relative who is claiming to be doing our family "genealogy", which in reality is more of a "where are they now" type report on living family members. Recently, she sent us forms to fill out, asking personal/vital details on us (all living) such as Social Security numbers, mother's maiden name, birth date/place, marriage details, etc., as well as all those same vital details on our spouses and children!

Obviously, I'm not going to fill the form out, as it is a complete invasion of privacy not to mention hardly a "genealogy" report (it asks nothing about ancestors, deceased or otherwise). The problem is, she said that if we do not fill out the form, she will gather this info through public records and print it anyway without our consent!

I have two questions for anyone that can help: 1. Does anyone know exactly what information can be found out from public records? And 2., Does anyone know of any Privacy Laws that publishing this info would violate? I would like to respond to her by quoting a law or privacy right that this would violate. Otherwise, she is the type who would continue to persue it if we simply asked her not to. If anyone can direct me to someplace on the internet, or someplace else where I could call to find out my Pricacy Rights, if any, I would appreciate it.

Thanks for the help!

Right to access - where do I draw the line?

frisk167 — 30 Jul 2003 11:56:46 GMT

Restoring Ethics to Genealogy

April Heath — 5 Apr 2002 5:57:38 GMT

Great article here:

http://www.iigs.org/newsletter/9904news/ethics.htm

April