Identity Analysis Worksheet
On this page
When facts on one or more profiles may belong to different people, use this form to sort out which belong to whom. Enter each fact in its own row, with its supporting details beside it. Once the table is complete, assign each row to a person, A, B, C and so on, in the Identify column, leaving it blank where the evidence doesn't yet decide. The Final Conclusion and summary shouldn't be started until the review is complete.
Versions — The form has two versions which can be selected from the Version list above the form: the Fillable version, filled in on screen, and the Print blank version, a blank copy for filling in by hand.
Printing — Print opens the browser's print window, where the form can be printed or saved as a PDF instead.
Continuation pages — When more entries are needed beyond the first page, a continuation page provides more space. In the Fillable version, "Add a page" at the bottom of the form adds another, with the names and profile IDs carried over from the first. For a page filled in by hand, choose Print blank under Version and Continuation under Page, then print it as many times as needed.
Page no. — A page number line can be added to a single sheet.
An Identity Analysis Worksheet lays out facts and evidence from one or more profiles so they can be evaluated to determine which information belongs together and which may belong to different individuals. It can be used to examine conflicting information within a single profile, or to sort information among people or families with similar or overlapping details. It also applies to profiles with similar names, family members, or other identifying information, and to profiles that were merged incorrectly. The same worksheet can help separate facts, establish connections, identify conflated information, or determine whether the available evidence is sufficient to reach a conclusion.
Name — A person is named in full, with a woman's birth surname (maiden name) rather than a married one. The birth surname connects her to her parents' family and to the records made before her marriage.
Profile ID — A profile ID can be whatever identifier the researcher chooses: the ID a family tree or database gives a person's profile, such as a FamilySearch ID, or one from the researcher's own numbering system. A consistent system across a body of research gives the same person the same ID on every form. The ID ties the form to one specific person where a name alone could fit several, and makes that person quick to find again.
The objective identifies the question, problem, or reason for the research or analysis. It provides context for the work and helps focus the evaluation of the information and evidence being considered. Recording the objective preserves what the research or analysis was intended to address, which can be especially useful when returning to the work later and the original question or purpose is no longer clear.
Fact names the kind of information in its row: names, births, deaths, marriages, other events, relatives, residences, occupations, education, military service, appearance, physical conditions, or any other detail that helps tell one person from another. Keeping one fact to a row lets each be judged on its own.
The Identify column assigns each fact to a person: A, B, and so on. Each letter stands for one individual the analysis is sorting out, told apart by the names, dates, places, relationships, and other details the facts reveal. A fact may agree with others, conflict with them, support a connection, or suggest it belongs to someone else, and looking at the rows together can reveal patterns, contradictions, or connections that aren't apparent one at a time. The analysis is not limited to the people first considered: when a fact fits none of them, it can be assigned to another, C, D, or beyond. With the column blank, the fact is still unassigned.
The final conclusion states the determination reached from the evidence in the analysis as a whole: Same Person, where the profiles can be merged; Different People, where they stay separate; Conflated People, where one profile holds facts belonging to more than one individual and should be separated; or Inconclusive, where more research is needed. It reflects the evidence available now and may change if more is found.
Next steps and notes provide a summary of the work and its current status. They may include what was researched or analyzed, what was determined, what remains unresolved, the conclusion reached, and questions or ideas for further research. This gives a quick overview, making it easier to return to later without having to review the entire form again.
An identifier for a specific form. The same identifier goes on every page of the form, so pages that become separated can be put back together, and another form can refer to it.
The prefix is unique to each type of form. The rest, up to four characters, is chosen by the researcher and can be numbers, letters, or both. Combining letters with numbers allows more forms to be referenced with fewer characters. Each Quick Reference chart carries a fixed identifier instead, such as "QRC-C2", which names the chart itself and has nothing to fill in.
A conflated profile combines facts from two or more people as though they were one. The most common cause is an incorrect merge of two profiles. Another is a record attached to the wrong profile, often because two people shared a name, a place, and a period. A single discrepancy does not establish conflation; its significance depends on the source, date, location, and circumstances surrounding the information.
A profile's information may not fit together as a single life history. It can appear to hold two separate patterns of residence, relationships, occupations, or other events. Common signs include:
- Overlapping timelines: residences, marriages, occupations, or other events occur at the same time, or in different places during the same period, in ways that may not be possible for one person.
- Conflicting relationships: spouses, parents, children, or households do not fit together across records, or the person appears with substantially different families during the same period.
- Incompatible ages or birth information: reported ages, birth dates, or birthplaces vary beyond what record-keeping practices or circumstances can reasonably explain.
- Distinct life circumstances: occupations, military service, or other circumstances appear to belong to different individuals.
- Different naming patterns: names or identifying details vary in ways that suggest more than ordinary spelling, abbreviation, or recording differences.