Research method

Genealogy is an argument built from evidence.

Kin Resolve is being shaped around disciplined, source-aware research. It helps organize the argument; it does not certify conclusions or replace professional judgment.

Archival route between Ireland and Chicago
A trail worth showing

The answer matters. So does the path to it.

A strong conclusion explains which sources were consulted, how conflicts were handled, why the evidence fits, and where uncertainty remains. Kin Resolve gives that reasoning a durable home beside the tree.

Six working principles

A method for staying honest while the answer develops.

01

Ask a focused question

A useful case begins with something answerable: a birthplace conflict, an unknown parent, or the identity behind two records—not “finish the family tree.”

02

Separate evidence from inference

Record what a source actually says before explaining what you believe it means. The conclusion should never erase the observation.

03

Keep conflicts visible

Conflicting dates and places are part of the evidence. Preserve them, compare their quality, and explain why one carries more weight.

04

Use DNA alongside records

Shared DNA can support or challenge a documentary theory. It does not name an ancestor by itself, and a match score is not proof.

05

Show uncertainty

Confidence belongs with the conclusion. “Probably,” “possibly,” and “not yet resolved” are useful research states—not product failures.

06

Publish the reviewed result

The private workspace can hold ambiguity and sensitive material. Public history should reflect an intentional, privacy-aware review.

Supported today

Structure for the current investigation.

Cases, evidence items, hypotheses, tasks, confidence values, source-coverage checks, date-conflict checks, and referenced analysis context are available in the current beta.

In development

Deeper evidence discipline.

Explicit search checklists, forced conflict review, citation templates, confidence categories, semantic retrieval, and the grounded research agent remain roadmap work.

Kin Resolve can help you organize a defensible conclusion. It cannot make an incomplete search exhaustive or turn an inference into proof.
Test the method

Bring the question that still has two answers.

We’re looking for family historians willing to test realistic GEDCOM, source, case, publishing, and DNA-triage workflows.