If you are going to do any research in records where the use of terms is important, land records, foreign language church records, etc. take a “cheat sheet” of key terms or words and what they usually mean. It will help. For example a sheet for land records should include grantor, grantee, quit claim, etc.A sheet for foreign language work should contain the main genealogy words in that language at the very least. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
When using online search interface, make certain you are interpreting all the search boxes correctly. It is very easy to get “ahead of the game” and waste time because you are not putting the correct things in the correct boxes. If you first do not find what you think you should, look at each search box and make certain you have (if appropriate) put in the correct item. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Remember that newspaper accounts of events can easily be incorrect and that every detail should be verified with other records if at all possible. Newspapers can easily get details of current events incorrect. I’ve seen obituaries of the same person in different papers conflict with each other over current details. The chance for error is even greater when dealing with the details of some person’s life in an obituary. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Is there a census occupation you can’t quite read or can read, but think someone dreamed it up? Google the word. You may find your answer. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Take care in transcribing documents and in using transcriptions. One missed word can make all the difference. While it is not a genealogy example, the following makes the point. “I put money in the envelope” means something different from “put money in the envelope.” Think about those transcriptions you are creating and using. If someone missed a word, it could make all the difference. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
More and more unindexed records are going online every day. When was the last time you looked to see what was “new?” My most significant breakthrough came when I searched a previously unindexed state census that had just been released on Ancestry.com. Boom! There was a likely match on a person I was struggling on. I had not used the records before as I could not search the entire unindexed state. When was the last time you looked to see what was “new?” ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
“Low is south and high is north.” It was the essence of a misunderstanding another genealogist and I had. I referred to my “low-German” ancestors and she thought they lived in the southern part of Germany, perhaps because that was “lower” on the map. In this case, the “lower” part of Germany is near the sea. Are you interpreting things correctly? And remember, geography is three dimensional. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Just remember that not every source genealogists use is online. Many books and materials have been digitized, but many have not. Make certain your search also includes materials that are only available in their original format. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
You ancestor could easily appear in records in the state archives for the state where he or she lived. Sometimes we forget that states kept records too. In some cases the State Archives may copies of county records as well. Make certain you have included the State Archives in your searching. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Anyone who wants to join me in Salt Lake at the Family History Library in late May…check out my group trip page: http://www.rootdig.com/slctrip.html ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Do you really know the geography of the area in which you are working, or are you “working” from assumptions? Best to get maps, modern and contemporary, just to be certain. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
If you are using any reproductions of original documents, be it microfilm, digital images, or photocopies, do you know what images came from the same piece of paper? It is not always clear what “front” should be paired with what “back.” And sometimes it makes a huge difference in how you analyze documents. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
Are you doublechecking information as you enter it into your genealogical database? Are you making certain those transcriptions are done correctly, word for word? ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
You should have some documentation, or at least a verifiable reason for every relationship between two individuals in your database. “Thinking they are related” isn’t a reason. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
I will be making the following presentations at the following upcoming conferences/workshops over the next several months: Topeka Genealogy Society Seminar, 24 April 2010 The Oft-Married Sarah Female Ancestors: After the Marriage Barbara’s Beaus and Gesche’s Girls Widows Denied-Pensions for Widows and What they Can Tell You Southern California Family History Jamboree, 11-13 June 2010 Restacking the Blocks: Organizing Your Information From New Jersey to Ohio: Establishing an Early Nineteenth Century Migration Trail Pig Blood in the Snow: Court Records Can Solve Problems Family History Expos-Loveland, Colorado 25 & 26 June 2010 Searching Tips and Tricks Where Did the Farm Go Where Do I Go From Here? Restacking the Blocks: Organizing Your Information Cleveland, Oklahoma Summer Seminar, 24 July 2010 Using Probate Manuals and State Statute Barbara, Nancy […]
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