How To Correctly Interpret Your Findings With Old Documents

How can I correctly interpret my findings?

When you're looking at documents, write down the information exactly as it appears in that document. Don't read into it what isn't there, because you might misinterpret certain things which perhaps aren't clear at the time. Sometimes you may find that documents conflict with each other, so the contradictions will have to be sorted out. You need to bear in mind the purpose of the person compiling the document. Was it a legal document or was it a personal recollection that was being recorded? This is because that might be important in the way that you interpret the content.