From Records-First to People-First History
Documents provide structure, but stories provide direction. Research guided by people reveals what records alone cannot.
The Limits of a Records-First Approach
When research begins with paperwork alone, lived experience collapses into chronology.
When Stories Take the Lead
Stories expose gaps, contradictions, and questions that records cannot ask.
Research as Response, Not Hunt
Records are sought to illuminate lives rather than populate charts.
Why This Shift Matters
People-first research preserves agency, invites collaboration, and prevents false certainty.
The MyCousins Method
Stories guide inquiry. Records provide explanation. Together they preserve meaning.