Before you hire a professional researcher: Decide what it is what you really want to know about your ancestor or family. Organize the information you already have. Cite the sources. Ask questions about your family in appropriate online groups or forums. Don’t necessarily hire someone who responds to your question. In many groups soliciting customers from those who ask questions is not allowed. Make certain there’s nothing you have overlooked accessing yourself. Decide specifically what it is you cannot do yourself that you need someone else to do for you. Grow your research skills with the Genealogy Tip of the Day book.
The online trees I tend to use the most for research “suggestions” are ones that contain sources–that cuts down on the number quite a bit if you also eliminate those that only cite other online trees. Sourced trees may reference items that I have overlooked in my research or that I simply have not yet had the time to look for. Online trees can be full of errors–sometimes. There are times where the compiler has merged people with similar names into one person or has taken several people with similar names and melded them into two individuals. Other times the compiler has pulled one record from beyond left field to be included in a person’s file when the rest of it is spot on. And occasionally the compilation […]
Recent Comments