Evidence & Provenance Model
Every uploaded research object can contribute evidence. Format does not determine importance; provenance determines what the object is and how it can be used.
Research objects
Documents
Original records, scans, deeds, wills, estates, military records, correspondence, books, cards, notes, GEDCOMs and DNA material.
Images
Original photographs and scans remain first-class evidence objects.
Derivatives
Restorations, enhancements, crops and other manipulated versions remain connected to the source image and are identified as derivatives.
Person profiles
A person page is an evidence hub. It can surface the records, photographs, correspondence, maps, names, places and other objects associated with that person while retaining each object's own provenance and evidence level.
Names
Variant spellings and source-specific names remain visible and searchable. A modern identification can connect variants without altering what a historical source actually says.
Evidence levels
An observed phenomenon records a pattern worth investigating. It is not converted into a genealogical fact simply because multiple clues point in the same direction.
Evidence viewer
The presentation target is the smallest useful context: exact page, image, passage or record region when available, accompanied by enough surrounding material to interpret it correctly. A citation should explain why the evidence is relevant, not merely where the file is stored.