Reasonably Exhaustive Search in Genealogy
A reasonably exhaustive search means you've looked in the obvious places and the less obvious ones—not just major repositories but tax records, land deeds, church minutes, and regional databases specific to your ancestor's time and location. The standard isn't perfection, but demonstrating you've cast a wide enough net that someone would have a hard time faulting your thoroughness.
HypatiaA reasonably exhaustive search is a genealogy standard requiring researchers to consult all sources that might contain relevant information about an ancestor before drawing conclusions. It ensures that no critical record is overlooked and that findings are based on a comprehensive review of available evidence.
AI tools help genealogists meet this standard faster by generating structured checklists of record types, suggesting overlooked repositories, and flagging gaps in a research timeline so nothing important is missed.
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