Ancestry Magazine

Lineage-linked databases (LLDs) are computerized files organized into families, pedigrees, and descendancies, as opposed to a serial listing of names. Some of the most popular LLDs available on the Internet include the Ancestral File™, the World Family Tree, and the Ancestry World Tree.

The fact that LLDs have risen tremendously in popularity in the Internet Age has more than a few genealogists worried. All Internet LLDs have one thing in common–they are created from submission by the general public. While this is the key to their amazing growth (these databases seem to swell by millions of records with each new release), it is also their greatest weakness. Researchers have no guarantee that the pedigrees they find represent the latest knowledge of a family’s past. More importantly, there is no guarantee of accuracy.

Yet LLDs continue to grow in size and popularity. Presenting a “finished” pedigree to an eager and nervous genealogical beginner is a very exciting event. Publishing your research to the world is as inexpensive as clicking a button. For many, using these collections is the first experience they have in family history. Check out the table below for a look at the good and bad LLDs have to offer:

Pros
1. Provides a Starting Place
A pedigree chart is a lot easier to understand than a probate record. Most beginners quickly learn to navigate and use LLDs.
2. Enables Communication
LLDs allow researchers to communicate with others working on their same line.3. Contains Lots of Info
LLDs are multi-generational by definition. They (or, rather, their source data) can contain any amount of information about individuals.
4. Permits Easy Publication
Adding to an online LLD like the Ancestral File™ or the Ancestry World Tree is as easy as clicking a button.
5. Helps with Common Names
Searching on common names is easier when you can also specify name of spouse, children, parents, etc.
6. Always Growing in Size and Scope
LLDs have no size limit. They can contain information on any family in any place.

Cons
1. Contains Bad Data
No one verifies data in LLDs. What you find can be incomplete, out-of-date, or just plain wrong.
2. Documentation not Available
Most LLDs do not display source documentation, even if it was included in the submission.
3. May Be Cumbersome
As the size of a database grows, so too grows search time and potential for false-positive query results.
4. Confusing to Update
Some LLDs treat updates as additional data, some (like the Ancestral File™) have merge policies which users cannot totally control.
5. Easily Replicates Mistakes
In this digital age, a pedigree submitted to a LLD can be viewed, downloaded, and incorporated into the personal databases of hundreds or thousands of researchers in a short time–bad news if the data is wrong or infringes on another’s rights of privacy.

Jake Gehring is a genealogical researcher and lecturer. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife and three children.