Researching Your Family History
Suppose you are interested in finding information about your great-grandmother. The following tips can help you put together a workable research plan:
1. Write down what you already know about the person whom you want to research. Include details such as approximate dates and places of birth, marriage and death; spouse’s name; children’s names; and any other details you feel may help you to distinguish your ancestor from other individuals.
2. Write down your goals when it comes to researching the person. It’s very easy to get sidetracked once you begin your family history research. With the excitement of uncovering new family facts, you may lose sight of why you decided to trace your family history in the first place. This is why it’s important to write down your goals in your basic research plan. For example, your goal might be to learn as much as you can about one side of your family or learn more about an old story you’ve heard about your ancestors.
3. Begin searching with a genealogically focused search engine to get a clear idea of what might be available. Using a site like Ancestry.com can help you find information about your ancestors. Enter the name and place the person lived in order to narrow the search results. The data that you obtain will give you an indication of the range of resources available.
4. Prioritize the resources you can use. Your search on genealogically focused search engines may turn up several different types of resources, such as newsgroups, mailing lists, and one-name study sites. It’s a good idea to prioritize the resources you are planning to use. Using one of the sites similar to Ancestry.com that allows you to access civil documents so you can verify important dates is a great place to start.
5. Once you’ve identified the resources you want to use, schedule time to use them. Researching your family history is a truly lifelong pursuit. You can’t download every bit of information and documentation that you need all at once. Because it requires a lot of time and effort to research your family history, it’s best to schedule specific times to work on specific parts of your research plan. Believe it or not, genealogy can be addictive so breaking it down into small tasks allows you to get the most from your research efforts without getting yourself bogged down by information.
There are many websites available that are designed to help you create your family tree for free. Mundia.com is the one I recommend. As you are doing your research on your family history, keep detailed notes and share your findings with your family members.
August 14, 2010 | Posted by Jim
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