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15 February 2011

True, False, and Somewhere in Between

When analyzing any record, remember that it may be partially true and partially false. Most documents contain several statements. Rarely is a document entirely correct. One part may be true, other parts may be false. Some parts could be partially correct--the year of an event may be right, but the month may be wrong. The state may be correct, but the town may be incorrect.

Keep an open mind to the very real possibility that most documents contain true statements, false statements, and statements somewhere in between.

That's why it is important to transcribe each document as it is written and do the analysis elsewhere. Don't play proofreader when transcribing a document. The changes you make may not be the right ones.