Reasonably Exhaustive Search Standard 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.
HypatiaThe Reasonably Exhaustive Search is a professional genealogy standard requiring researchers to consult all sources that could reasonably contain information about an ancestor before drawing a conclusion, ensuring that no critical evidence is overlooked. It is a foundational principle of the Genealogical Proof Standard used by credentialed researchers worldwide.
AI can help you systematically identify which record types and repositories apply to a specific time period and locality, generating a prioritized checklist of sources you have not yet reviewed so that your research meets this rigorous evidentiary bar.
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