Question

Is Geni a reliable source for information?

Comments

I like it w, hen geni and other sources like them cite their sources, but quite often that doesn't happen (especially on geni.com).  Some other ones are better in citing sources.

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Depends what information you want.  If you're looking at some half-dismantled junk and you want to know where it's coming from, you can often find the whole sorry story on Geni.

You can also find links to useful sources.

But you can't take anything on trust.

Answer 1

Like Ancestry, My heritage, and all the other such like sites, it depends and what sources are cited. Some are totally useless, some are excellent, For my own family history except for Geni and  Wikitree here, nearly every other sites have stuffed up some of my family history, non existence wives, children etc, writing to all the managers laying out your case with sources cited etc, it makes no difference to them. They just cling to the idea that they are descended from some one famous, regardless of the facts.  So treat all the information that is not sourced with some scepticism, try to find other sources.

Comments

Agree 100% with this. Unsourced trees can be an inspiration to dig further to find of how or why they created their family tree, but should rarely be taken at face value as 100% accurate until you're able to determine the sources. I use Geni, Rootsweb, My Heritage, and other ones like this to help me dig deeper, but I try hard not to fully trust it without doing my own research.

Answer 2

Isn't that family trees submitted by members?  Then, no, not really. Family trees are excellent sources for hints, but as proof, no, unless they have included their sources. Then you can check them out and decide for yourself. That is what sources are for - to show others how you came by your information and made your conclusions.

Answer 3

For the majority of profiles that I have viewed, no. (except the one I know that was copied word for word from a profile I created on here)

 Most I look at have  no references so you don't know where the information has come from.

Comments

I love it when I see my work in other places, but wish the plagiarisers would cite the source - or even just my sources!

Answer 4

It's like every other internet/on-line tree - it depends on the sources that make it accurate/reliable - or not.  

Usually, anything that isn't well sourced, including texts, genealogy histories etc. are only as good as there sources.  If they have none, or have only links to other trees, then the information should be used as a starting point for your own research, ie. hints at locations, time frames, family members etc. 

Answer 5

Think of Geni as a "google" of family trees.  Its like asking, "Is Google a good source for a profile?"  It can be a way to find sources, but in and of itself, it is not a source.