Getting Started in Family History

Research Basics Getting Started in Family History After you have gathered information from around your house and interviewed family members, you’re now ready to start filling in the blanks. This missing information will become your goal. Before you begin exploring online databases or

Tracking Down Previous Research Getting Started in Family History While few people are able to connect themselves to families whose entire genealogy has been examined and published, it is highly worthwhile searching down any past research on your family. Begin with your

Oral History – Asking the Right Questions Getting Started in Family History In a family history interview, questions assist your family member’s memories, and asking the appropriate questions will offer you the best chance of success. Consider your aims when determining which

Taking Oral Histories Getting Started in Family History Oral histories are an important step in family history research. No records, documents, or even images can ever teach you as much about your family as your living relatives. The stories they have to

Clues from Family Sources Getting Started in Family History Family records, images, and other sources can offer you a wealth of information to help you get started on your family history journey. They may include ancestor names, dates and locations for births,

Recording Locations Getting Started in Family History The Golden Rule to recording locations in family history is to always record the location as it was at the time of the event. When entering locations into your family history records, the common practice is

Recording Dates Getting Started in Family History It is extremely important to adhere to genealogical standards when recording dates because the way you normally enter a date may differ from the conventional date format in another nation or time period. When recording dates,

Recording Names Getting Started in Family History When recording names it's important to be mindful of variations, official changes, nicknames, titles, and suffixes. Names should be recorded in their natural order – first, middle, and last name. If possible, use entire names. If

Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets Getting Started in Family History Researching family history is like trying to put together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Once you’ve got one piece in place, you’ll need to find two more to go with

Getting Started in Family History Getting Started in Family History Millions of people around the world are currently researching their ancestors, which makes family history one of the world’s most popular hobbies. At some point in their lives, everyone seems to wonder