Keep a Family History Source Log Behind Every Claim
As of 2026-10-27 · The AZET team. We run azet.io and write from that seat. This research exercise is for fun and reference. The family and records are invented, and the AI workflow is something to try with tools you already use, not a claim that AZET provides it.
An imaginary family historian shares a tree with cousins showing a great-grandmother born in a particular town in a particular year. A cousin asks where that came from. The historian remembers seeing it "somewhere," perhaps in another person's online tree, perhaps on a family letter. Nobody can check.
Family history depends on sources. This exercise attaches a source to every fact and separates evidence from inference. An AI assistant can help find claims without sources and organize citations. It cannot replace looking at records, and it should never be treated as a source of facts about your family.
Record one fact per line with its source
Break your research into single facts: a name, a date, a place, a relationship. For each, record the source: what it is, where you found it, and when you looked. "Birth year: from a census record, accessed at a library archive on a specific date." If you cannot name a source, write "no source yet."
Ask an assistant to scan your notes and list every fact marked "no source yet," or with a vague source like "online." This list becomes your research to-do list.
Separate evidence from inference
Some facts appear directly in a record. Others are your conclusions from several records. Label each line: "stated in record" or "inferred." For inferences, write a sentence explaining your reasoning. "Inferred: two records with the same name, age, and town likely refer to the same person."
When asking an AI to summarize your tree, instruct it to keep these labels. Summaries tend to turn "probably" into "was," which can spread errors to relatives who trust your work.
| Fact | Type | Source | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth year | Stated in record | Census record, archive visit | Not needed |
| Birth town | Inferred | Two letters mention town | Both letters from sister |
| Parents' names | No source yet | Family memory | To research |
These entries are invented.
Treat other people's trees as leads
Online trees from other researchers can be helpful, but they are leads, not sources. Record them as "lead: another researcher's tree," and look for the original record they cite. If none is cited, keep it as a lead only.
Ask the assistant to mark which facts in your tree rely only on leads. These facts deserve a note when you share the tree with family.
Share with sources and uncertainty visible
Before sharing, ask the assistant to create a short version of your tree that includes a source note for each fact and clearly marks inferences and unsourced items. Read it carefully. Family members will appreciate knowing what is solid and what is a working guess.
Be thoughtful about privacy for living relatives. Before you publish anything, read through the shared version once more from the point of view of a cousin who has never seen your notes, and ask whether each claim would make sense to them. Many researchers avoid sharing personal details of living people without their permission.
FAQ
Can AI tell me facts about my ancestors? No. It may produce plausible but invented details. Use it only to organize your notes and check for missing sources.
What counts as a source? An original record, a reliable published work, or documented family materials. Note exactly where you found it.
What if two sources disagree? Record both, note the disagreement, and explain which you find more reliable and why.
Should I include family stories? Yes, labeled as family stories. They are valuable leads and part of the history, even without records.
A note from the makers
Our product reference is the maker introduction dated October 3, 2026. It describes azet.io as a portal centered on the azet AI assistant, with an early-access email waitlist and pricing unpublished at the time. This exercise implies no later launch, feature, or pricing change.
If careful, sourced research appeals to you, visit azet.io to join the early-access waitlist. Read the page before registering. The records, the family, and the conclusions stay with you.