Guide 01
Search OCR, verify the scan
Use OCR to locate names, places, dates, and phrases. Then inspect the PDF image before quoting or relying on the result; columns and proper names are common OCR failure points.
Documentary authority
Evidence architecture for Poston, South Carolina
The Documentary Record of Poston, South CarolinaFlagship evidence center.Claim-to-source matrixWhat is direct, corroborated, compiled or pending.Source methodology & evidence standardsHow the archive handles OCR, transcription and genealogy.Primary record acquisition prioritiesWhat still needs to be located and added.
Featured source guide
Primary Sources for Andrew Poston and Poston, South Carolina
A source-by-source guide to the archive’s strongest current naming evidence, later family-continuity records, evidentiary limits, and the primary records still worth locating.
Open the Evidence Guide →Guide 02
Separate source from interpretation
A newspaper notice, census schedule, deed, compiled genealogy, and modern lineage chart do not carry the same evidentiary weight. Record what the source itself says before adding interpretation.
Guide 03
Verify one generation at a time
For a parent-child link, look for converging evidence such as wills, probate files, marriage records, census households, deeds, family Bibles, cemetery records, and contemporary notices.
Guide 04
Search variants and OCR errors
Try initials, married names, alternate spellings, phonetic variants, and common OCR substitutions. Search uncommon surnames or place names before adding broad terms.
Guide 05
Cite the archive and the original source
Cite the archive record URL for access, but preserve the original publication or repository details whenever they are visible in the scan.
Guide 06
Treat family tradition as a lead
Family tradition can preserve useful clues, but label it as tradition until documentary evidence supports the claim. The revised Poston genealogy is a model for explaining and correcting inherited traditions.
Recommended research sequence
Start with the surname and record search, open the source PDF, record the original citation, compare the OCR against the scan, and then test the fact against independent records. For family relationships, avoid jumping across generations because names repeat frequently.