Twenty Tips to Help You Be Successful in Genealogy

By Karen Coombs

Tip #1 – Read

· How-to genealogy books.

· About your geographical area of research.

· Historical novels.

Tip #2 – Join

· Genealogical societies from the area your ancestors lived.

· Workshops offered by societies.

· Mailing Lists.

· One-name societies.

Tip #3 – Organize

· Your collected information.

· Enter information in PAF.

· Enter all loose paper information into a work processor program or put it in a categorized binder.

Tip #4 – Attend

· Classes at the Family History Center.

· Workshops offered by genealogical societies.

· Events that teach you about history.

Tip #5 – Use Libraries

· Local, genealogical, Internet, college, historical societies, and public libraries.

· Use interlibrary loan.

Tip #6 – Review

· Stop, step back, and review information collected—you may find something you have overlooked.

Tip #7 – Switch

· If you have reached a dead end, switch to another line. Taking a break from a problem and returning to it gives you a fresh perspective.

Tip #8 – Go

· Plan your vacation to allow a visit to genealogical libraries, courthouses, cemeteries where your ancestor lived. They may have information about your ancestor, which is available no place else.

· Tip #9 – Learn

· To use the genealogical resources on the Internet.

· About the resources at the Family History Center—our on-line catalog.

Tip #10 – Copy

· All documents, letters, and photographs from relatives. Each will add to your reservoir of information.

Tip #11 – Examine

· Always seek to get to the primary record and have a look.

· Abstracted, extracted and summarized records are a finding aid only.

Tip #12 – Visit

· Our Family History Center and take advantage of the resources—classes, books, ancestry.com, etc.

Tip #13 – Search

· All available resources on www.familysearch.org.

· Do use google.com.

Tip #14 – Seek

· Use interlibrary loan to get microfilmed copies of newspapers from the area of your research. Newspapers contain all kinds of good information.

Tip #15 – Find

· A book that has been written about a family on your pedigree, In five generations you have thirty-two different surnames.

Tip #16 – Interview

· Whether by phone, in person, via letter writing or over the Internet, interview all relatives who are older than you. Glean family history and stories.

Tip #17 – Ask

· Do not be afraid to ask questions. Other genealogists are always willing to help.

Tip #18 – Document

· Make sure every name, date, place, and fact that you put on your chart is documents. You are researching for yourself plus posterity.

Tip #19 – Plan

· To leave a legacy not a mess with your genealogy. Write down who is to receive the heirlooms and why they are important.

Tip #20 – Share

· All you have learned with others in a newsletter, a book, or on a website.