If you’re just getting started with a new software package or consider trying features of your current program that you’ve never used before, considering doing the experimentation on a “dummy” database. Then if things do not work correctly or you mess things up entirely, you still have the original. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
For some of us, paragraph after paragraph of names and relationships can be confusing. To help yourself and others with whom you are sharing information, make charts or “trees” showing the relationships. The chart can contain a few key details (place of birth or death) on each individual, but leave the details somewhere else. Sometimes when researching keeping the relationships straight is difficult–but crucial. A chart or “tree” can help you to do that. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
We’ve said it before, but it is worth repeating: “Do not rely only on online sources or printed material. The solution to many problems rests in material that has never been transcribed, copied, microfilmed, or digitized and exists only in its original format.” ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Those of us looking for rural ancestors sometimes ignore the census information regarding addresses that’s contained in the far left hand side of more recent census records (1930 and 1940 for example). That would be a mistake. I located an uncle in the 1940 census for Lima Township in Adams County, Illinois. The “address” indicates he was living on the Adams-Hancock County line road. That was a good clue which told me that he lived along the extreme northern edge of Lima Township. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Are you gathering information without any specific goal or question in mind? Having a specific goal or question in mind allows you to focus on that goal or question instead of gathering whatever “comes your way.” Setting a research goal or having a specific question lets you think about the sources that might answer that question–some of which are probably not online. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If your ancestors are enumerated in a census that gives places of birth and they are not living in the state of which they are a native–look at the places of birth for their neighbors. Are many neighbors born in the same location? If there are not many, those neighbors who were born in the same place and are living near your ancestor may have some connection to him. Of course, this approach will not work for your Illinois born ancestor who is still living in Illinois at the time of the census! ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If a library, researcher, or someone else goes out of their way to help with your research, or makes copies at no charge, etc., do you remember to thank them? First of all, it’s just nice to do it. It also helps “pave the way” for the researcher to help others. And sometimes it even helps you as well. That person may run across something else on your family (particularly if it’s someone who researches a lot in local records) and if you’ve thanked them, they are more inclined to send you something else and more inclined to remember the names on which you were working. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Recent Comments