A Shared-Name Verification Checklist

01 / Start unmerged

Treat each result as its own source

Open every result independently and record what that page actually establishes. Do not carry facts from one tab into another merely because the title uses the same words.

Aggregators can make separate records look connected through layout or proximity. Visual grouping is not evidence of identity.

02 / Test context

Look for support, not familiarity

Reliable linkage depends on context supplied by authoritative sources. A same-name match, repeated initial, or broad category may help frame a question, but none proves that two pages concern the same person.

When the page lacks enough context, keep the status as unknown. Search pressure is not a reason to upgrade uncertainty into a claim.

03 / Notice contradictions

Conflicting context is useful evidence

Dates, roles, source ownership, and other page-specific facts may make a proposed connection impossible or unsupported. Record those contradictions rather than smoothing them away.

One strong contradiction can matter more than several weak similarities. The checklist should be designed to disprove a match as readily as to support one.

1. What does this source directly state?
2. What connection am I only inferring?
3. What context conflicts with the inference?
4. What remains unknown?

04 / Communicate limits

Precise language keeps records separate

Say that a page uses the same name, that the source does not establish a connection, or that more context is required. These phrases are more accurate than a confident identity claim built from search-result proximity.

If the distinction matters, link to the original sources and preserve their dates. Let the next reader repeat the check without inheriting an unsupported conclusion.