Source

A SOURCE is anything that specifies the origin of a fact or piece of information. Sources may be written, visual, or verbal, and include documents, publications, and people.

Examples:

• A birth certificate may be a source for a child's full legal name at birth, date of birth, place of birth, names of parents, and other information.
• The Social Security Death Index may be a source for the dates of birth and death for an individual.
• A family bible may be a source for the dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths and the names that the participants used at the time of those events.
• A family member or friend may be a source for information about the members of a family, including dates of birth, marriage, death.
• A photograph of a cemetery monument may be a source for birth and death information.