Now that we’ve talked about where to find documents about resisters during WWII, you have to know how to evaluate the documents you find.

Just because someone wrote something down a few generations ago does not mean it’s true. People were confused during the war. Some people even outright lied during the war, particularly if they thought it would keep them from getting into trouble themselves. So if you read something shocking about your aunt, make sure you find supporting evidence for it. Your aunt may have done whatever it is, but she might also have been the victim of false rumors and unfounded accusations.

And make sure you write down the name of the archive and the catalog number of any documents you read in your notes. Because if you accuse your aunt of that shocking thing, you had better believe that people – and not just family – are going to demand to know where you got your information. You had better be able to tell them.

In addition, you will want to know where you found each document while you are reading through them and trying to piece together a coherent story. Even if you don’t write the story down with footnotes, knowing the source will help you evaluate the trustworthiness of each document.

It goes without saying that if you are a student, you will absolutely be keeping careful track of the source of every piece of information. Also, do not translate in the archives. If you copy anything down from a document, copy it down in the original language. It’s ok to take notes in your preferred language, but make sure you know how to go back to the original to make double sure you understood exactly what it said.

Nowadays, of course, most archives will allow you to take digital photos of documents. Make sure the name of the archive and catalog number appears in each of those photos. If you’re taking photos make sure to also read the documents in the archive so that you can follow the clues in the documents to other documents and even other archives.

What you want to do is “interrogate” every document you find. Don’t just accept it at face value. Ask who wrote it and why. Is the author trustworthy? Did the author have reason to know what really happened or is the author just writing down rumors and guesses? Even honest people get things wrong because they know only half the information or saw only half the evidence. It’s up to you to sift through everything you find to figure out what really happened as best you can.