Methodology Monday with the March 2010 NGSQ

The National Genealogical Society Quarterly has a new academic home, having moved from the University of Alabama Department of History (1987-2002) to Gallaudet University Research Institute (2002-2010), and now to Boston University's Center for Professional Education (2010-?).

The first issue of 2010 brings us Roberta King's lengthy discussion of research resources in Nebraska, along with two tough-as-nails identification studies.

Mary Collins, CG, combines about ten points of evidence to argue that Lizzie (Evans) Davis (1836-1893) of Greene County, Georgia, was the daughter of John Evans and Rachel Sanford. Melinde Lutz Sanborn marshals the evidence that six records of a free black woman named Zipporah in colonial Boston all refer to the same single person.

Both of these proofs from indirect evidence are extremely difficult to outline in a step-by-step manner, but I'm going to keep trying. Indeed, Collins contends that the sum of evidence in this case was greater than its parts.