The starting point
A photograph may clearly show a football setting while leaving the names, date and venue uncertain. Describe the visible scene first. Keep possible identifications in a separate research note with the reason for considering them, rather than embedding a guess into the caption as a settled fact.
A useful way to read the evidence
Record the original filename and where the image came from. Preserve inscriptions or accompanying descriptions as attributed text, since they can also be mistaken. If an identification is later confirmed, add the supporting record and revision date. Generated illustrations, including those on this journal, belong in a separate category and must never become evidence of a historical team or fixture.
Keep in your notes
- Describe before identifying.
- Attribute accompanying labels.
- Separate illustrations from historical evidence.