QuickSheet: The Historical Biographer’s Guide to Cluster Research (the FAN Principle)

Description

In this QuickSheet Elizabeth Mills introduces us to the concept of “Cluster Research” based on the FAN principle, the idea being that to prove identity, origin, and parentage individuals must be studied in the context of their FAN club–family, associates, and neighbors. Historical information, she says, is like real estate: the true value of any piece of information is unknown until it is put into community context.