10 Commandments 4 Genealogist

I. I am a genealogist dedicated to true knowledge about the families I am researching.

II. Thou shalt use family traditions with caution and only as clues.

III. Thou shalt not accept as gospel every written record or printed word.

IV. Thou shalt not hang nobility or royalty on your family tree without verifying with experts.

V. Thou shalt clearly label the questionable and the fairy tale.

VI. Thou shalt handle all records in such a way that the next users will find them in the condition you did. In other words, “Thou shalt not use bacon as a bookmark.”

VII. Thou shalt credit those who help you and ask permission of those whose work you use.

VIII. Thou shalt not query any source of information without supplying postage.

IX. Thou shalt respect the sensitivities of the living in whatever you record but tell the truth about the dead.

X. Thou shalt not become a genealogical teacher or authority without appropriate training and certification.