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Using the computer to assist in your genealogical research
can be a time and sanity saver. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to using your computer for research. Some of advantages are: A
computer file takes less space than hard copy. It is easier to add new
family member without having to
copy your work. A computer makes it easy to sort and find particular
people by name, date, or any other
data. It is easy to transfer files to someone else, over the Internet, who is working on the same family name.
There are also some disadvantages to using your computer. If your computer crashes and you don't have a backup, you may lose everything.
Some computer programs are not compatible with others and make it difficult to transfer information. If your file becomes too large, it won't fit on one disk (although it might on a zip disk)
In Lotus, Excel, Word, WordPerfect and other spreadsheet or word processing programs, you can also create columns and then sort by a specific column if you don't want to buy one of the many commercial programs on the market.
The Internet is a valuable resource for the beginning genealogist as well as the expert genealogist. Once you get started and know
which direction you are heading, you will find your computer and the Internet will help you research your family tree.
Step 1. Gather information on your family
The first thing you need to do, before you start your research is collect all the items
that your family has that pertain to your family history. Genealogists rely on official records for proof of information to document our past. We search for birth, marriage and death certificates; cemetery records, wills, censuses and other documents that help prove the important events in our ancestors' lives and then we can often fill in the gaps with anecdotal stories.
Look for names, dates, places and other important information on birth certificates,
death certificates, family bibles, baby books, wedding albums, church certificates of
baptism, confirmation, etc., land deeds, letters, military documents, photographs,
scrapbooks, Social Security papers (cards, letters, awards to beneficiaries),
telegrams and wills. Contact living relatives and get names, dates, places, and relationships they know. A very detailed list of things to look for is found
here.
Record everything onto forms (see below) or into genealogy software. Record the source of information (if you have a death certificate, record "Death Certificate" as the source). Examine your data for inconsistencies (grandma had a baby at age 8 or the same woman had two healthy children only a few months apart?).
Then talk to all the older people in your family asking them about what they remember. (Take detailed notes.) Some sample questions to ask them
are here.
You can learn many things by talking to your relatives. Remember that some of this information
may be "folk lore" that will have to be investigated further. Collecting what you have in the house and in the family and talking to your living relatives are the first steps to starting your genealogy.
Now that you've collected this data, you will want to get the forms for a Family Group Sheet and a Pedigree Chart and print them out. There are several online sources for these forms.
Ancestors
has the charts I used an a few more in PDF versions
Ancestry.com has the charts that I mentioned as well as a few others
Ancestry Corner has a number of good forms- You will need Adobe
Acrobat
Genealogy at The Shoppe is another source of the forms I mentioned and more
Print out 8 copies of the family group sheets and 1 pedigree chart. After printing the forms, organize the information you have into family groups and put each family unit on a Family Group Sheet and complete a Pedigree Chart. Be sure to make a Pedigree Chart that lists you as person number 1. Fill these out in pencil and don't worry about mistakes, these are for notes and you can always print out more if you want them. The reason for printing 8 family groups is because a three-generation pedigree chart has sixteen married couples on it. Eventually you should have enough information to complete a family group sheet for each couple.
First fill out the pedigree chart as far as you can, listing as much information as possible. List the sources for the information at the bottom of the
sheet (i.e. family bible, family letter, personal knowledge.)
Males are the even (on the top) numbers, and females the odd (on the bottom) numbers. Pedigree charts over the years have changed, and as long as you're consistent, your descendants should be able to understand your work.
Create a family group sheet with your parents as the parents and listing all of your brothers and sisters. Include as much information as possible on the family group sheet. List the sources for the information (even if it is personal knowledge) at the bottom of the sheet. Create a family group for each of your grandparents, listing your father and mother as children on the
separate family groups sheets. Include as much information as possible and the sources at the bottom of each family group sheet.
Next, create a family group sheet for each of your brothers and sisters that are married, even if they do not have children. Include as much information as possible and sources at the bottom. Create a family group sheet for every married couple on your pedigree chart.
Now that you've organized your findings into family groups, we are prepared
to begin the research.
You will need:
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A computer program to
track your family history (there are a number of good ones on the
market) Family Tree Maker by Broderbund, Family Tree House, Personal Ancestral File (free),
Roots Software are several that are highly recommended. OR
-
Manila folders- eight for the families in your Pedigree Chart plus one for each of your
siblings
A stapler or use a two hole punch and clips to attach paper to the folder
On the left side of the folder attach: (From the top down)
1. Correspondence Log
2. Family group sheet of one married couple
3. A copy of the pedigree chart underneath it
The correspondence log will record every letter you write or receive, and every email you write or receive pertaining to this particular family group.
On the right hand side attach: (From top down)
1. Research Log
2. Copies of any letters, correspondence or information relating to that family group sheet. (You might need to have duplicate information in other family folders as well.)
The research logs will record every record you search, no matter how insignificant.
It is important to keep a record of your research even if the research
doesn't lead to valuable information.
Date each entry so you know when it was searched and also list what you were looking for. That way, if you
found a record for one person's birth date, you know that it is a reliable
source for future research.
Every entry where you have found information should have a correspondence reference to the pieces of paper that you will eventually file beneath it. If you searched the birth records of Maricopa County, Arizona from 1880-1900 and
found information, you should record it on a separate piece of paper than the probates or county histories. In the lower right hand corner of the paper, give it a reference number, i.e. A1. If you have ten pieces of paper from Maricopa County, Birth from 1880-1900, then number them A1 through A10 and keeping them in order, file them underneath the research log when you are done.
Each record should have a different entry. If you were to search Maricopa County Marriages from
1820-1850 next, it would B1 through B5 (or however many pages you have.)
If your research becomes so extensive that you use up the alphabet, start with AA through AZ, etc. and keep in separate folders if they become too bulky to handle.
All correspondence should be labeled and filled the same way.
Label every file with the name of the family group, i.e. HART, Cecil and HART, Jesse to designate different heads of household. If it is a woman list her name. I also list the birth date because you might have several family members with the same name.
Now that you are organized, you are ready to move on and start your own research. Decide on your first goal and then choose a family surname to start with and be ready to concentrate on one family, one family group at a time. Working by family group makes it easier to keep track of what you've done.
At this time you may also want to write a letter to all the members in your family such as this:
Dear________
I am trying to put together a history of our family. Please look over the enclosed Family Group Sheet and change any information that you know is incorrect. Please feel free to add any information about anyone on the sheet. If you have any interesting or funny stories about anyone please add them to the back of the group sheet. Please let me know if you have any family photos of these family members that I could make copies of.
I hope to have a substantial amount of information completed by July 1, 2000 and will provide a copy of what has been completed by that date to each family member.
I appreciate your time and interest in this project and have included a stamped addressed envelope to return the envelope to me. Thank you for all of your help.
Sincerely,
______________________
Step 2. Verify the information (especially inconsistencies)
Find original records confirming the dates and places shown on your Pedigree and Family Group Sheet. If you were told Grandpa was born in 1899 in Alpena, Michigan, get a copy of his birth certificate, or look up the family in the 1900 census and see him listed as a baby with his parents. Do this for each family member, noting details about the verifying source on your research log. Checking data now avoids wasting time looking in the wrong places later.
Step 3. Look for all previous research
Look for information already found by others. The process of finding all the work that anyone else has done is usually worth the time it takes. The following
Internet resources should usually be checked:
Ancestral File© is the largest, most readily available, and easiest to use previous research database. The 1998 release contains over 30 million individuals submitted by people around the world (predominantly North America). It's available at the Family History Libraries or at a Family History Center of the Mormon Church.
International Genealogical Index® (IGI) contains information on births and marriages of 250 million deceased individuals (mostly U.S., Great Britain, Europe, and Scandinavia). Many events recorded in the IGI come from original church records recorded between 1538 and 1875. It takes little time to check the IGI, and it should always be consulted when you check out a family tree. It's also part of FamilySearch.org and available at many Family History Centers and Family History Libraries.
Family History Library Catalog© -
the surname section is also part of FamilySearch.org. The catalog lists all books and films available at the world's largest genealogical record collection. The surname section lists published family histories (book or film) by the major surnames listed in those histories. You input a family name, and the catalog lists publications in the library that are about that family name. You can then examine those books or films to see if they mention your branch of the family.
Library of Congress home page
is available on Internet. It helps find books/films on a family name in the Library of Congress. You can search your surname and get a list of published sources. Once you know about a source, look at it through a local Center, or library (on the shelf or Interlibrary loan).
FamilyFinder TM Index & World Family Tree are sponsored by Banner Blue Software. FamilyFinder is a CD-ROM index to millions of names (to check index entries, you need to buy the CD-ROMs from Banner Blue or use a library such as the Family History Library). World Family Tree is similar to the Ancestral File (see above), but is more difficult to use.
Research Coordination Lists are databases containing names and addresses of individuals that have expressed an interest in a specific family. They generally give some details about a family, and list the person researching that information. There are many research coordination lists, many of which are specific to one country. The largest, most available, and most generally applicable list is Roots Surname List on Internet at
http://rsl.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/rslsql.cgi.
Personal Genealogies stored online are numerous. One of the largest and most easily accessible is GenWeb. GenWeb is an organization devoted to helping people put their own genealogy on the World-Wide Web (Internet).
As you find information from these sources, verify the information (see step 2, above).
Step 4. Contact others with common interests
Use newsgroups and bulletin boards to list your interests and make contact with others. Newsgroups and bulletin boards are where people leave public messages in hopes that someone else will read and answer their request. Many "queries" published relate to specific families or individuals that might be related to you. Even unrelated individuals may pool their efforts when they are searching records in the same area (you look at the deeds and I'll look at the wills, and we'll both look for our own as well as each others' family names).
ONLINE SERVICES America Online, CompuServe, Prodigy, other online services, and local bulletin boards have genealogy sections where individuals submit ("post") these kinds of messages and hope for a reply.
NEWSGROUPS The same concept, when applied to
the Internet, is called newsgroups. There are over 13,000 newsgroups, several of which are devoted to genealogy.
Use family history society periodicals and member's interest lists. Many societies publish lists of who is researching what name. Check out the societies for the area your ancestors came from and you may find a society member listed for an ancestor's family name. These lists are available at major libraries (including the Family History Library).
Step 5. Review what you have and decide on a
goal
Select a specific individual in your ancestry to learn more about. You need to know at least a name, the area he or she was from, and an approximate time period. It's important to pick an ancestor about whom you have some information, so that you have a starting point.
Step 6. Select a
record to search to obtain that information
Successful researchers first do their homework. They find out what records
are available for the time and place where their ancestor lived. They find
out about the area, and make sure they've checked previous research
sources (listed above). They choose the record that would be most likely
to contain the information they want. For help with choosing a record, ask
a Family History Library reference consultant, read a research outline
that explains the area's records, or post a message requesting assistance
on either an online service or an Internet newsgroup.
Step 7. Find and search
that record
You usually need to visit
or write the Family History Library or Center near you. Other options
include a local archive or church, a public library (InterLibrary Loan), a
University library, or hiring a professional researcher. One way or
another, you find the record selected and search it. Get a copy of a
Family History Library Research Outline for a country (U.S. or England are
the best), where you will find several pointers about how to read a record
and put what you see or don't see in proper context (look under "Suggestions for Searching the Records.")
Step 8 Use the
information
Evaluate what you found, decide if it's accurate, whether it changes anything you had, and whether it suggests that you need to look for another record. Then record what you searched and what you found. Even if your research fails to find the information that you are looking for that search needs to be recorded. Share your findings with family and other genealogists, including your newfound "online" friends and the Ancestral File (if you don't send it in, your information won't be there for others to find).
Sources:
Dr. Alan E. Mann
Diana Hanson
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