Getting Started

Rule #1 of genealogy is to work from the known to the unknown. Genealogists quickly find out that their “unique name” is not so unique after all, that many people share the same or similar name and live in the same geographic area at the same time. To avoid accidentally attaching the wrong person to your family tree, you need to start with the known.

Each of the steps below is described in greater detail in subsequent sections. The detailed sections include tools, techniques and tips to help you succeed on your genealogical quest.

1. Identify what you know. Begin your family history by writing down what you know onto a standard form. If the first rule of genealogy is work from the known to the unknown, genealogy Rule#2 is Write it Down. Capture key pieces of genealogical information: names, relationships, dates and places of birth, marriage, and death. Interview yourself. Talk to relatives: what do they know? What family stories were they told?
2. Decide what you want to learn (research goal). Review what you have compiled and determine what information is missing. What individuals or families intrigue you the most? Make a list of the missing pieces and choose a few goals or questions to research. Focus on one genealogical question at a time – multi-tasking while doing genealogy leads to confusion (and potentially errors).
3. Identify and locate your sources. Options for finding genealogical information exist on the web, in libraries, court houses, churches, and your own home. Start with your house and your family.
4. Research! Systematically go through your list of research questions, finding and recording your information. Keep in mind Rule #2: Write It Down, which includes writing down where you found the information. A date or name without a source is merely hearsay rather than information. Consult multiple sources while collecting as many records about a family or individual as you can.
5. Analyze. Don’t just read, evaluate. Who provided the information for the record? Was the informant a participant in the event (e.g. bride and groom for a marriage record) or someone else (e.g. daughter or undertaker for a death record)? How long after the event was the information provided (e.g. the birth date on a death record)? What new questions occur?

STEP #1: Identify What You Know

Tools

Starting your genealogical documentation is as simple as purchasing a spiral bound notebook for your notes, but several standard forms greatly simplify the task of recording important genealogical information. Most genealogical software programs will generate reports in these basic formats. Plan to make liberal use of these forms.

Multi-Generational Chart
The backbone of genealogical recording is the multi-generational chart. This chart provides a road map of your ancestors and includes basic information about each person such as full name, date and place of birth, death, and marriage. Each person on the chart receives a number. The subject of the chart is number 1; the subject’s father is 2, the mother is 3; the father’s father is 4, the father’s mother is 5; etc. Men always receive even numbers; women, odd numbers. Each chart is assigned a number and cross-referenced to connect charts and generations. Thus, every ancestor receives a unique number that can be used as shorthand or for filing. For example, 3:6 refers to chart number 3, person number 6. Download our five-generation chart.

Family Group Sheet
The family group sheet provides a snapshot of each nuclear family and records pertinent information about each family member. The basic information for a couple includes, given and surname(s); birth, death, and marriage date and place; parents’ names; other marriages. For children: sex, given and surname(s); birth, death, and marriage date and place; spouse’s name. The family group sheet also includes space for your source references—that is, where you found the information. Download our family group sheet.

Research Log
Research logs are an excellent way to keep track of the research you have already completed. They contain a list of every source you consulted—and whether your search was successful or not. Handwritten or typed, these logs help prevent duplicate searches and look-ups. Download our research log.

Techniques

Interview Questions
Interviewing your relatives may seem like a daunting task. To help you begin, consider using questions such as the following:

1. Where did you live when you were growing up?
2. How did your family come to live there?
3. Were there other family members in the area? What were their names?
4. What older relatives do you remember, and what do you remember about them? What were their nicknames and where did they live? Do you remember any traditions associated with them?
5. What was your family religion?
6. What family stories have you heard about your parents? Your grandparents? More distant relatives?
7. What stories have you heard about the European (or other) origins of your family members and their immigration to America?
8. Is there a naming tradition in the family?

Download additional interview questions.

Genealogical Recording Conventions

The field of genealogy has several conventions for recording information.

• Dates: Dates are usually captured as day – month – year, e.g. 21 May 1852.
• Maiden Names: List a woman under her maiden name. If her maiden name is unknown, leave blank space (e.g. Mary (_____) or Mary _____).
• Surnames: Many genealogists capture surnames in capital letters to highlight the name in a text field.
• States: Either spell out states or use standard abbreviations. Do NOT use the two letter postal codes.
• See below for common abbreviations such as b=born, m=married, d=died.

STEP #2: Decide What You Want to Learn

Take a look at your charts and your notes. Where are you missing key pieces of information such as a date or a name or a place? Make a list of the information you need to find. Decide which questions interest you the most. Pick a handful of questions to begin. Typical genealogical questions include:

• Who are the parents?
• What is the date or place of birth?
• What is the date or place of marriage?
• What is the date or place of death?
• What is the spouse's name, or maiden name?
• Who are the siblings?

Tips

• Start slowly. Don’t rush to answer all your questions at once.
• Don’t skip generations in planning your research; it only leads to misattributed people.

STEP #3: Identify and Locate Your Sources

Tools

For the majority of beginners, the internet and the library provide the most accessible sources of information about family history, although not everything is online or in a book. An efficient use of the internet or the library rests on understanding where the information you seek may be found. Popular internet websites for records include:

• AmericanAncestors.org
• FamilySearch.org
• Ancestry.com
• Fold3.com (specializing in military records)

See Table 1 for an overview of different types of genealogical records and Table 2 for other sources of genealogical information such as compiled genealogies and histories. See Table 3 for the records that are most likely to have the specific pieces of information you seek such as birth, marriage, or death dates.

 

Table 1: Records with Genealogical Information

Type of Record	Description	Information in Record
Vital Records	This includes the recording of births, marriages, and death by governmental entities such as towns or states. Not until the twentieth century in the U.S. did government record keeping of vital events become universal.	Name, date, place and sometimes parent’s names, including mother’s maiden name
Church Records	Records kept by religious institutions of parishioners, including marriage certificates, baptisms, confirmations, burials, birth records, Hebrew School attendance, and other materials. These are important substitutes for vital records.	Same as above, plus witnesses to the event
Cemeteries	Tombstones vary in the amount of information captured. Online websites such as Findagrave.com may include transcriptions of obituaries or biographical information in addition to a photo of the tombstone. Cemetery records may substitute for vital records.	Name, date of birth, date of death. Sometimes the maiden name and the place of birth are included.
Bible records	Records kept by families. These serve as vital record substitutes.	Name and date and sometimes place
Newspapers	Birth, marriage, and death notices are the principle uses of newspapers by genealogists although some ancestors generate news articles.	Names, dates of events, location, family members.
Census	US Census: Every ten years beginning in 1790. Until 1850, the census only listed the head of household and tabulated the ages of household members by age categories. From 1850 onward, the census became a much more useful source of genealogical information. State Census: Some states conducted their own censuses in between federal census years.	Name, age, and gender of each family member, occupation, birthplace, and other information, depending on year
City Directories	Listing of residents of a town or city. Good census substitute for between census years.	Name, spouse (varies by community), occupation, location of business and home address.
Taxation	Records generated to track receipt of taxes paid to government. These can serve as census substitutes.	Name, property. In colonial periods, the presence of a name on a list signified the person was of legal age (16, 18 or 21 depending on the colony).
Immigration and Emigration Records	Records generated in tracking individuals arriving or departing a country. Includes ship passenger lists, border crossing records, and passport applications.	Few lists pre-1820. From 1820-1893 – just the name, age, gender, and country of origin were recorded. Beginning in 1893 more extensive information such as last residence and marital status were captured. Passport applications typically include name, date and place of birth.
Naturalization and Citizenship Records	Records generated through the process of an individual applying for and becoming a citizen of a country. Beginning in 1790 the US naturalization process required two steps. After living in the U.S. for at least two years a person could file a declaration of intent to become a citizen, followed three years later by a petition for naturalization. The final certificate was issued based on the petition.	Name, nationality, date and place of birth, port, and date of arrival. After 1907, may find spouses name, date, and place of birth as well as information about children.
Land and Property	Records generated by the purchase and sale of land, such as warrants, deeds and mortgages. In the colonial period, most rural heads of house owned land.	Name, name of wife, names of family members, names of neighbors. Some states, such as Maryland, gave parcels of land names such as “Peace,” or “Dorsey’s Folly,” which makes tracing ownership across generations somewhat easier.
Probate	Records generated by the process of settling an estate after death. If a person made a will, they are said to have died “testate;” without a will, “intestate.”	Wills mention relationships: husband, wife, children.
Military	Records generated as a result of an individual’s involvement in the armed forces, including draft registration cards, service records, pension records, and bounty land records	Draft: Name, age, place of birth, occupation, residence. Service: Name, age, dates of service. Pension: Name, date of birth, death, family members.

 

Table 2: Other Sources of Genealogical Information

Source	Description	Information
Compiled genealogies	Published family histories	Descendants, lineage. Some compiled genealogies have been carefully documented, others present data without source citations and must be treated as finding aids.
Local Histories	Histories of towns, counties, and states provide a wealth of useful information for genealogists. They describe the early settlement of an area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. Many histories include lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Prominent citizens receive a biographical write-up.	Names, relationships, places, occupations. These histories may place your ancestor in an area before the ancestor left a record.
Biographies	Life histories of prominent people	Names, relationships, migration patterns, occupations, residences.

 

Table 3: Suggested Records by Information Needed.

Information Needed	Search These Records First	Then Search These Records
Age	Census, Vital Records, Church and Cemetery Records	Military Records, Taxation, Bible Records, Town Records, Emigration and Immigration
Birth date and place	Vital Records, Census (for place), Church Records, Town Records	Newspapers, Military, Bible Records, Cemetery Records
Marriage date and place	Vital Records, Church Records, Newspapers, Bible Records, Town Records	Military Records, Naturalization, Census (for number of years married)
Death date and place	Vital Records, Church and Cemetery Records, Town Records, Probate Records	Newspapers, Military, Bible Records, City Directories (rare)
Parents' names	Vital Records, Census, Probate Records, Newspapers, Published Genealogies, Local Histories	Emigration and Immigration, Bible Records
Maiden name	Vital Records, Church Records, Newspapers, Bible Records	Cemeteries, Military Records, Probate Records, Town Records
Immigration date	Census (year only), Immigration Records, Naturalization Records	Newspapers, Biographies
Country of foreign birth	Naturalization Records, Vital Records, Census, Church Records, Immigration Records	Military, Newspapers, Local Histories, Cemeteries (rare)
Foreign birth location	Vital Records, Emigration and Immigration, Census, Published Genealogies, Local Histories, Naturalization Records	Newspapers, Church Records, Military Records
Places family has lived	Census, Land, Local Histories, Directories, Vital Records	Newspapers, Military Records, Taxation, Probate Records

 

Tips

Start your research with the U.S. Federal census. The census will anchor your ancestor to a place and time and give you clues about family relationships.

STEP #4: Research

Tools

Research Log: Whether you use a pre-formatted form, a computer program, or a spiral notebook, it's important to list every resource you have checked and the information you did and did not find. Keeping track of your negative searches is critical to avoid duplicating your work. Download our research log.

Filing System: Set up and use a simple filing system: either virtual (on your computer) or physical (hard copy). Many researchers find it helpful to organize by surname and then by the given name of the father. Each person in your tree exists in two families: as child and later as parent. Record pre-marriage facts with the father’s family and post-marriage facts with the husband’s family. For more tips on how to stay organized, visit our Getting Organized page.

Techniques

Sibling research: Sometimes a person’s siblings hold the key to the information you seek. Your direct ancestor may not have left a record with the names you need, but their brother or sister might have. Find out the names of as many siblings as possible and research as necessary.

Tips

• Write it down.
• Alternative spellings: If you don’t find the record try an alternative spelling of the name. Spelling tended to be fluid until the twentieth century and even then the possibilities for misspelling are numerous.
• Less is often more when searching online: If you enter too much information, or too much precise information (e.g. exact birth year) into the search engine you may be disappointed. Try date ranges or less precision about place.
• Click through to the original record when it exists: Don’t rely on the transcription. First, errors in transcription occur. Second, the original record may have substantially more information than was abstracted for the search engine.
• Collect as many records as possible about an individual or family. This helps you evaluate the “fit” of any new information you find.
• Learn the geography and social setting of your subject. This will greatly help your search process.

STEP #5: Analyze

Critically evaluate the information you have found before you decide to add it to your tree (see below – Techniques). Once you have completed these steps, you are certain to identify further questions and other missing pieces of information. Start the research process again by locating and identifying sources that might help you answer your next set of questions.

Tools

Several software programs and other resources exist to assist you in tracking and organizing your genealogical information. To help you choose a program that meets your needs, check out our learning guide on selecting a software program.

Techniques

Evaluate what you have found.

• Does it confirm or contradict what you already know?
• Does the record tell you straight out the fact you need to know (direct evidence) or do you need to infer something from the information given (indirect evidence). An example of indirect evidence is age on the census from which you may infer a birth year.
• Who provided the information for the record? Was the informant a participant in the event (e.g. bride and groom for a marriage record) or someone else (e.g. daughter or undertaker for a death record)? Information provided by a participant is more credible than information provided someone else.
• How long after the event was the information provided (e.g. birth date on a death record)? Memory fades over time.
• If you are viewing a compiled genealogy, does the author cite his or her sources?

Below are some commonly used abbreviations you will encounter during your family history research.

Ab./abt.	about		int.	intention of marriage
Æ, ae	age		m.	married
b.	born		née	maiden or birth name
bap., bp.	baptized		n.f.r.	no further record (after marriage)
bur.	buried, burial		N.S.	New Style (Gregorian) calendar
co.	county, company		O.S.	Old Style (Julian) calendar
d.	died		sic	copied exactly from original
div.	divorced		unm.	unmarried
d/o, s/o	daughter of, son of		unk.	unknown
d.s.p.	decessit sine prole (died without issue/children)		viz.	namely
d.y.	died young		yeo.	Yeoman (farmer)
et al.	and others