Watch the replays of our 5th annual 24-hour Genealogy Webinar Marathon here.

Watch the replays of our 5th annual 24-hour Genealogy Webinar Marathon here.

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Best of ESM Methodology and Skills

What’s the Evidence? How to Probe Documents Beyond the Obvious

Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
Jun 23, 2023
2.4K views
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Content

Play. Playing.
Welcome
2m 00s
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Class Overview
1m 27s
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Introduction
9m 14s
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John Watts
15m 37s
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Captain Walton
4m 58s
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Back to John
1m 58s
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Strategies
14m 36s
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What's the Evidence?
13m 45s
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Announcements / prizes
2m 33s
Play. Playing.
Questions / answers
11m 44s

About this webinar

Whatever our research dilemma, a correct solution depends upon a reliable evaluation of the evidence we are using. Evidence is not concrete. It is not definitive. It is not a source. It is not a fact. It is not “proof.” It is, instead, our interpretation of what a piece of information means. Evidence is both singular and collective. We analyze it piece by piece. We correlate each piece with everything else discoverable, and then we analyze the whole to reach conclusions that are reliable. This session walks us through the three levels at which each piece of information should be evaluated, in order to draw a reliable conclusion from it. The principles are then illustrated with a common but thorny problem: a Revolutionary War–era case study that might be called: How to Identify Someone Who’s Been Mangled by ‘Facts.’

*** This class requires an active webinar membership to attend. ***

About the speaker

About the speaker

Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
Across a long career, Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS, has been an innovator of research methods and strategies. Published widely by academic and popular presses, she edited a national-level scholarly journal for 16 years, taught
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  1. HH
    Harold Harrison
    10 months ago

    Thank You. Now I realize just how much I don’t know.

    Reply
  2. ED
    Elaine Drury
    10 months ago

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it was great

    Reply
  3. WV
    Webinar Viewer
    10 months ago

    Wonderful presentation as usual.

    Reply
  4. BM
    Barbara McGeachy
    10 months ago

    What an amazing researcher! She is the highest level of thoroughness and accuracy. Inspiriational!

    Reply
  5. MB
    Margaret Balcom
    10 months ago

    Any Elizabeth Shown Mills webinar is 5 star!! Thank you for sharing your wisdom!!

    Reply
  6. DZ
    Della Zane
    10 months ago

    I love what I’m learning through the ESM webinars. She amazes me every time. Mind blown!

    Reply
  7. TD
    Teresa Dunlap
    10 months ago

    Demonstrated the ease of getting same name people confused.

    Reply
  8. WV
    Webinar Viewer
    10 months ago

    Another amazing webinar! So grateful to have this experience of listening and learning from Elizabeth.

    Reply
Show all comments

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