The Importance of Performing Thorough Research

Sylvester Roy Woodfork Sr

My grandfather, Sylvester Roy Woodfork Sr., was a World War I veteran.  His funeral program indicates he was a member of a special class of soldiers trained in radio technology at Howard University and that he experienced combat with the Battery F, 351 Field Artillery.  I did some research and learned the 351st Field Artillery was one of several units where Negro soldiers were trained as artillery officers.

After obtaining his military records from the National Archives, I learned my grandfather was not in this unit but the 52nd Company 13th Battalion 153rd Depot Brigade in Camp Dix, New Jersey. The records also show he was a private, not an officer.  The situation illustrates the importance of performing thorough research.

Many families have family history that has been passed down from generation to generation.  In many cases this information has not been verified yet everyone accepts it as a statement of fact.  Most family historians would like to uncover exciting information about their family.  We would love to have ancestors who were movers and shakers in their community or made history in someway or another.  The truth of the matter is not every one will be that fortunate.  Some of us are the descendants of ordinary folks whose major focus in life was working hard to maintain the basic necessities of life.

As family historians we should not embellish the truth or make up stories to make our family more interesting.  We must remember it is our responsibility to have respect for the truth and the whole truth.  In cases were the truth is not pretty; there is no need to air the family’s dirty laundry or change the facts to make it better.  Just remember the old adage, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”.

I try to keep the following rules in mind when I am performing research: 1) Just because it is published does not make it true and 2) Just because someone says it does not make it true. We must remember that researching is the systematic process of collecting, analyzing and verifying information in order to establish facts.

A systematic process is repeatable.  You can demonstrate how you came to the conclusion again and again. If another person follows the same steps, they will come to the same conclusion.

Collecting, analyzing and verifying information are three very important components of performing research.  Collecting is gathering information. Memorabilia, ephemera and artifacts are excellent sources of information.  However, after the information is collected it must be analyzed.   We must ask ourselves:   Does it make sense?  Does it seem accurate? Is it from a credible source?  Verifying information requires us to locate a primary source and to cross check information against a variety of sources to determine the validity. A lot of people collect information, but they don’t analyze or verify it.  All three steps are important.

The end result of research is to establish facts.  We must be careful to make a distinction between facts and opinion.   A fact is objective information that is verifiable.  Opinion is a judgment, view or assessment. It is subjective and is not verifiable

Although it is disappointing when we find information that contradicts well-known family history, we must resist the urge to ignore the truth. It may possible that my grandfather was a member of that special unit in World War I or he may not have been.   I have to do more research to determine the facts.