Why Are Primary Sources Important?
Primary sources include any kind of document that records information about an event soon after that event occurred. Because public records are recorded at the time of the event, they represent a reliable account of the incident. These accounts are important for providing credibility to your research. In addition, you’ll find that having primary sources from public records will help you if you choose to concentrate on another family line for a while. When you come back to your current project, you’ll find that it will be easier to pick up where you left off. This is also important if you plan to pass your genealogy work down to later generations.
