Title: Should I attach when receiving Hints?
Question: When I get a Hint from a Web Database Repository, should I attach the document?
Answer: It Depends. When Web Database Repositories digitize, store and index documents, they use the information garnered in the document to search for associations in existing Family Trees. Sometimes the computer gets it right and sometimes it doesn’t, probably due to ancestors with similar names and birth localities, etc.
You need to verify that there is enough information to have a high level of confidence that the person mentioned in the document is the ancestor you want to attach the document to. To do this, look for information in the document that corroborates what you know to be true. If it doesn’t, there is the possibility that it isn’t your ancestor and you should not attach the document.
For example: If the document states the right name, the right birth date and the right parents or children, you’re probably OK to attach it. Think like a detective, discover the clues that lead you to believe this is the right person for that particular document.