Genealogy Tips

Beginners may struggle with where or how to start family research, while even experienced researchers can encounter an ancestor or mystery that proves particularly challenging. In either case, certain strategies can help overcome these obstacles. Here are a few genealogy tips that can help you get past these issues when researching your family history.

When beginning family history research, consider the goal of your investigation. Which ancestor do you want to start with? In most cases it is best to start with yourself and work backwards. This information will generally be more accessible than records for more distant relatives. The further back you research, the higher risk of incomplete, destroyed, or missing records.

Make use of the different institutions around you such as libraries, museums, schools or universities, churches, repositories, historical societies, or history centers. These locations often hold records or employ staff who can provide guidance into your family research journey. When visiting institutions to conduct your family research, you should remember certain supplies for your visit. Things you may want to consider include pencils, paper, folders, notebooks, money (to pay for copies), USB, laptop, and a phone/camera (if permitted).

Whether you are just starting out or have just gotten stuck in your research, another great option that can help you is travelling to ancestral locations. Ancestral locations include the county, town, neighborhood, or country that your ancestor lived in or migrated from. Specific spots you may want to visit include the church your ancestor attended, a school they may have attended (if it still exists), or the courthouse of where your ancestor lived. Going to these locations may provide records or other documents that could help with your family research. Also, these locations can help connect you to your ancestor and how they lived.

Another helpful genealogy tip you may want to utilize are family sheets. Family sheets can help keep track of your ancestors and family history, while also keeping your research neat and ordered. When using them, it helps to bring multiple copies, sort them by surname, group those surnames by country of origin, and include page numbers to maintain consistent organization. These small practices can make navigating your growing collection of family data much easier.

Talking with relatives or others can be a great help as well. You can see if earlier research has already been done. These conversations can also uncover family stories, heirlooms, photographs, or other memorabilia that offer insight into an ancestor’s life. It is also important to interview older relatives while the opportunity still exists, as their memories and knowledge can preserve details that might otherwise be lost.

Probably one of the most important genealogy tips to remember is that there will be setbacks at times during your family research. Just remember that it will happen, but you should not let it get you down. When a search doesn’t succeed, record what happened and document the missteps to learn from these discouraging results.

Citations can help strengthen your research, clarify information, and can make the information you have found easier to refer to. There are different citation styles to consider, depending on the style of paper or documentation you are putting together. Some of the citation styles you may use or come across include APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, and IEEE.

What are some of the best citation practices to keep in mind?  First, select a citation style, such as Chicago, and stay consistent with that decision throughout your research.  Another key factor is to remember to give credit where credit is due. Every fact needs to be backed up by a credible source, and it is essential to remember who passed on this valuable information to you. It is also important to record your information in the correct format according to the citation style you went with. Footnotes or endnotes are also important to include as well, depending on citation style. Lastly, you should always include a bibliography or citation page that shows where the information is from.

Share with others what you have learned to help them understand and grow. What you have learned is meaningful, it can help others understand their own origins, it encourages continued research, and it underlines stories of the past and ways of life. Remember your ancestors who came before you and what you learned about them, yourself, and your family through your experience. Lastly, be proud of what you have achieved and accomplished.

Sources of Information:

Allen, Desmond Walls. First Steps in Genealogy. A Beginner’s Guide to Researching Your Family History. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books, 1998.

Croom, Emily Anne. The Genealogist’s Companion & Sourcebook. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books, 1994.