How to Research Your Family History

1.        Start with known family members and work towards the unknown.

2.        Complete an exhaustive research plan:

a.        Ask family members for documents that they may have: birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records, and for family stories to record and include in your history.

b.       Search Social Security Death Index, cemeteries, census records, vital records, military records, immigration records, such as www.ellisisland.org  and naturalization records.

c.        Search for already compiled family tree records: www.FamilySearch.org, www.Rootsweb.com, microfilm collections in the Family History Library Catalog or on paid subscription websites like: www.Ancestry.comand www.WorldVitalRecords.com.

d.       Visit your local Family History Center, open to the public.  Call to verify hours.

3.        Keep records organized using Genealogy software: Legacy Family Tree, Family Tree Maker, Roots Magic, etc. Legacy Family Tree offers free and paid software versions, http://www.legacyfamilytree.com.

a.        Use software to keep track of sources, research notes, research log, and alternate names and to do lists.

b.       Most genealogy software will allow you to attach scans of documents and pictures.

4.        Collaborate with other researchers.

a.        Message boards, blogs and by posting your family research on line.

5.        Tips on researching surnames.

a.        Don't get hung up on spellings and dates. Correct spellings were not as important years ago as they are today.

b.       Stay focused on your family groupings, such as parents and their children.

c.        Mistakes were made because people wrote what they heard, language differences, and illiteracy. Mistakes are also made by computer indexers having difficulty with bad handwriting or old copies.

6.        Backup your files.

a.        Make multiple and frequent back ups to protect your research from natural disasters and computer failures.

b.       Some ways to backup your files include: sharing your files with relatives and other researchers, saving to external hard drive or CDs and using an on line backup service, such as www.Mozy.com.