A Genealogist’s Guide to Family Tree Research

Capturing your genealogy research and organizing it is a huge undertaking. It involves many hours of scouring books, microfilms, photos, scrap books, websites, etc. There is nothing more rewarding than uncovering the history of your ancestors.

Once you start your research and gather historical documents, what do you do with them? How do you know the documents you found actually are your ancestors? Remember there are many people with the same names, who lived in the same towns and were approximately (or were) the same age as your ancestors. Don’t take for granted that finding a document with the correct names is a link to your past.

The first thing to do when finding a possible family source, from your research, is to analyze the data. Take into consideration where the archive came from; how you found it; who provided the input for the source; and what was its purpose? What contradicts current family information? Scrutinize every bit of the record. Write a conclusion as to why you think this source represents your genealogy tree.

If you can only locate one document or none include a narrative of why you think this one heirloom is proof for your ancestor's heritage.

Family research is the basis for starting and recording your ancestor’s history. Without research and finding sources to back-up your lineage a tree becomes just a document with names and places. Your relatives have all lived through many issues and have many stories to tell. Locate the stories about your heritage and record your findings. If you happen to discover a black sheep don't worry, we all have stories that we think we should hide, but should really share them. Let your future family members read and learn about your history. Start your genealogy research today.

Places to Research your Family Tree

Heritage Quest:
Access to U.S. Census indexes, tax lists, city directories, probate records, digitized images, and more than 20,000 book titles. You can also access Periodical Source Index (PERSI), a widely recognized resource guide. Many libraries and archives across the U.S. offer free remote access - all you have to do is enter your library card number! For those people who don't have a local participating library, or who live outside of the U.S., many genealogical societies offer access as a benefit of membership.

National Archives:
Access documents that can be researched online, in person, or can be borrowed through your local library. To find a list of National Archives Locations click here. Find family research documents .

Church of Latter-Day Saints:
Start your family tree research through online documents or order microfilms that can be viewed through their family history centers, which can be found in almost every county in the United States and around the world.

WorldCat:
Find books and family tree sources by searching the WorldCat global catalog.

Newspapers:
Newspapers contain valuable information. They often include, birth, death, marriage, engagement and other family tree history. Many are available online and have a searchable index.