Genealogy’s Assumptions about Written Records and Originality

This article probes characteristics of writing relevant to assumptions genealogical practitioners make about written sources they use as evidence. Those infrequently examined include the assumption that represents past reality, truth univocally denotes correspondence between writing’s discourse and an event or act occurred in past, is transparent its reference and, therefore, not need critical interpretation relating such things reflecting political power cultural social perspectives. Many records are produced by bureaucratic organizations follow practices processes related aligned with uncritical those genealogists. There a gap what it signifies. Writing unstable, evolving material technologies susceptible loss damage. The also overviews some potential issues assuming originality implies greater reliability.