Correcting Published Errors

Write the argument supporting your conclusion and submit it for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. If the original article had been published in a journal (rather than a monograph or online) then it would be appropriate to submit your article to the same journal.

I agree with Michael in his response to this situation.  However, in the case of an online article in a blog or some other e-publication, a communication with the author might also be appropriate.  A discussion could be beneficial on both ends, and if your argument is persuasive enough, the author might edit his online entry to reflect the change, or write another post/article in which he retracts his original assertion and offers your corrections.  But whatever, it is essential that your correction be couched in sound and documented research, and your correction should follow the GPS.

If it's possible, I believe it's always best to start by having a dialogue with the author.  After all, it might be you that's wrong!

The important thing is to not come across in an accusatory manner.  This is something I learned long ago in doing structured walk-throughs of computer software.  If you think something's wrong, approach it with a question.  Depending on the circumstances it might be a "what if" situation, an "I don't get it, can you explain" situation, in our field a "did you know about" situation, or anything else.  The idea is to never attack the person, who typically will then get defensive and no good will come out of the whole exercise.

This dialogue, by the way, should take place privately, not in the comments section of a blog!  Another thing any wise manager (of which there are way too few) understands is to praise in public, criticize in private.

I've wondered about that very issues concerning my husband's great grandfather, Isaac Carter, who served in the 14th Heavy Artillery, USCT, stationed at Fort Macon, NC. When I started my research I had read a book that led me on the journey to get the primary documentation needed to prove the relationship for my own records. However, once I started following the paper trail in the Civil War Pension Files, I discovered that "our" Isaac Carter was incorrectly identified in a book written by the former Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. The one he had attached to our family had actually come from Mississippi, while ours was from Craven County, North Carolina. I had mentioned it to our local special collections librarians, and they didn't seem to think that someone of that caliber could be wrong...or perhaps it was that a non-professional found the error. The book is still in print, and I have seen many family trees online with this same incorrect information and a note to this source attached. 

I think dsliesse brings up a very good point. And I notice that this is exactly the response I get from people when commenting on this situation. But I do not have access to the author.

This individual is the third generation in my BCG portfolio, so the discussion might present itself there. But do you think that I should then write a peer-reviewed article with this correction?

You can see how I addressed it some time ago in a blog post: here.

I would always contact the author first and present my additional evidence and reasoning. It is always wonderful to find another expert in the same niche so it is a great opportunity to share information and create synergy.  

Depending on the medium that the publication appeared in, I would also submit a follow-up article to a well-respected journal in the field (in the case of a paper publication) or publish a blog post on my own blog and post a comment on the author's article with a link to my blog (in the case of an online publication). In either case, I would start by pointing out the merits and importance of the article and then present the additional findings in a constructive manner.