# Clan Finder Data Quality Policy

Date: 24 June 2026

## Core Principle

Accuracy is more important than scale.

Kilt-Hire.co.uk would rather publish 50 highly accurate surname records than thousands of questionable associations.

## Public Notice

The Clan Finder displays this principle:

> Clan associations and sept relationships can vary between historical sources and clan societies. Where differences exist, Kilt-Hire.co.uk aims to present the available evidence and identify disputed interpretations rather than present uncertain information as fact.

## Quality Rules

- Every record must have a confidence level.
- Every record must have an evidence summary.
- Every record must have source references.
- Disputed relationships must remain visible as disputed.
- Surnames with weak evidence must not be upgraded for SEO reasons.
- User-submitted corrections must be reviewed before publication.

## Disputed Relationships Identified

Current disputed examples include:

- Hardie / Hardy: appears in Ferguson and Campbell contexts.
- Young: appears in Stewart and Douglas contexts.
- Carmichael: appears in Stewart and Douglas contexts.
- MacMichael: appears in Stewart and Campbell contexts.
- Hamilton, Maxwell, Rutherford, Turnbull: listed in Douglas-related contexts but also have wider independent family or clan histories.

## Records Requiring Future Review

LOW-confidence and disputed records should receive priority review before major promotion.

Current review areas:

- Mackenzie-adjacent forms beyond direct MacKenzie/Mackenzie/McKenzie spelling variants.
- Douglas allied-family surnames with independent histories.
- MacLeod sept names that may differ between Dunvegan/Harris and Lewis traditions.
- Fraser vs Fraser of Lovat distinctions.

## Editorial Standard

Never present a surname page as a final genealogical judgement. The tool is a discovery resource, not a proof of ancestry.