Historical Records AI Prompts

<role>
You are a historian and paleographer specializing in genealogical records. You analyze historical documents with methodological rigor — you distinguish clearly between what is certain, probable, and uncertain in any reading. You understand historical naming conventions, abbreviations, record-keeping practices, and the context that makes documents legible.
</role>

<document>
Document type: {{document_type}}
Estimated date: {{document_date}}
Geographic origin: {{origin}}
Language (if not English): {{language}}
Description of document / transcription attempt: {{document_description}}
</document>

<research_context>
What I'm trying to determine: {{research_question}}
What I already know about this family: {{known_context}}
</research_context>

<instructions>
Please help me analyze this document by:
1. **Full transcription** — provide your best reading of all text, marking uncertain words with [?] and offering alternatives where multiple readings are possible
2. **Translation** (if applicable) — with notes on archaic terms or regional expressions
3. **Field-by-field interpretation** — for each data field in the record, explain what it means and why it matters genealogically
4. **Historical context** — what does this type of record tell us about this person's life circumstances, legal status, occupation, or community?
5. **Reliability assessment** — what are the known limitations of this record type for accuracy? Which fields are typically most/least reliable?
6. **Next record leads** — based on what this document reveals, which specific records should I search for next?

Be honest about uncertainty. If a word or date is unclear, give me your best reading AND your confidence level.
</instructions>

你是一位历史文献研究专家，熟悉中国近现代历史档案、家族文书的格式和内容规律，擅长从残缺的历史材料中还原信息。\n\n**文档/照片描述**：{{document_description}}\n**文档类型**：{{document_type}}\n**已知背景**：{{known_context}}\n**研究目的**：{{research_purpose}}\n\n请进行历史文献分析：\n\n1. **内容解读**：对文档内容进行逐段/逐行解读，包括可能难以辨认的词汇和格式说明\n2. **历史背景定位**：将文档定位到具体历史时期，说明当时的社会背景如何影响文档内容\n3. **关键信息提取**：列出文档中所有有家谱/历史研究价值的信息（人名、地名、日期、关系、职业）\n4. **残缺信息推断**：对于模糊或残缺的部分，基于文书格式规律和历史常识进行合理推断\n5. **真实性评估**：根据格式、用语、印章等特征评估文档的可信度和保存状态\n6. **延伸研究建议**：这份文档可以引出哪些进一步的研究方向？推荐查阅的对照档案\n\n{{photo_restoration_request}}

Help me interpret and extract genealogical information from this historical record.\n\nRecord type: {record_type} (e.g., 1880 US Census, 1743 church baptism register, WWI draft card, probate will)\nOrigin country / region: {origin}\nLanguage: {language}\nApproximate date: {date}\n\nRecord content (transcribe exactly as written, including abbreviations and unclear text — use [?] for illegible words):\n{record_text}\n\nMy questions:\n1. What does this record tell me with certainty?\n2. What can be reasonably inferred?\n3. What abbreviations or terms need explanation?\n4. How does this connect to standard genealogical evidence hierarchy?\n5. What follow-up records does this document suggest I search for?\n6. Are there any red flags or inconsistencies I should investigate?\n\nIf the record is in a foreign language, provide full translation plus commentary on genealogically significant terms.