Help:Uncertain Parents

Categories: WikiTree Help | Profile Editing Help | Styles and Standards

How should uncertain parents be handled on WikiTree?

Connecting uncertain parents is never required. It's a decision made by the editors of the profile. For pre-1700 and project-managed profiles, parents are generally only connected if they appear in reliable sources, but are sometimes connected temporarily. For modern profiles, if there is a disagreement about whether to connect them, the following guidelines should be used.

Contents 1 There is no theory about the parents that is more than a guess 2 There is one theory, but it's highly uncertain 3 There is one theory, but it's uncertain 4 There are multiple theories but one theory is more likely than others 5 There is a disproven theory, or multiple theories and none are more likely than others

There is no theory about the parents that is more than a guess

1. Do not connect any parents (unless an unknown parent placeholder is necessary to connect a known sibling), and
2. explain the current state of the research in Research Notes.

There is one theory, but it's highly uncertain

1. Connect the parent(s), and
2. mark the connection(s) Uncertain, and
3. use the Uncertain Family Research Note Box (put {{Uncertain Family}} above the Biography), and
4. explain in Research Notes.

There is one theory, but it's uncertain

1. Connect the parent(s), and
2. mark the connection(s) Uncertain, and
3. explain in Research Notes.

There are multiple theories but one theory is more likely than others

1. Connect the most-likely parent(s), and
2. mark the connection(s) Uncertain, and
3. use the Uncertain Family and Disputed Parents Research Note Boxes (put {{Uncertain Family}} and either {{Disputed Parents}} or {{Disputed Parents|father}} or {{Disputed Parents|mother}} above the Biography), and
4. explain in Research Notes.

There is a disproven theory, or multiple theories and none are more likely than others

1. Do not connect any parents, and
2. use the Disputed Parents Research Note Box (put {{Disputed Parents}} or {{Disputed Parents|father}} or {{Disputed Parents|mother}} above the Biography), and
3. explain in Research Notes.

This page was last modified 21:58, 22 December 2022. This page has been accessed 1,757 times.