| Genealogy focuses on validation of research | | | | of help to you as will a computer. Today a |
| sources. It can't be over-stressed that finding | | | | computer makes a lot of sense and will be |
| your roots depends heavily upon the quality of | | | | integral to the document scanning procedure. |
| your research and the supplies or tools you use. | | | | You may want to put together a family tree |
| Start your genealogical research by speaking with | | | | scrapbook. Your scrapbook should only contain |
| your relatives. The stories that your family | | | | copies of your original documents. Preserving your |
| members will reveal will be priceless. I can | | | | old documents is important, so be sure they are |
| reassure you that you'll receive a great deal of | | | | kept in a secure place so they won't be ruined. |
| important insight by listening and asking for bits of | | | | There are many other sources of information, |
| information. You'll find that you can easily jog a | | | | which you'll discover to be high-quality in addition |
| person's memory when you have your supplies | | | | to discussions with your family members. Because |
| readily available; doing so will help you uncover | | | | of the Internet, you can do a lot of research |
| important details. | | | | from the comfort of your own home. Some of |
| Note taking is crucial to your research; be sure to | | | | the genealogy research websites charge |
| take excellent notes and you'll stay organized. Go | | | | membership fees, but other Internet sources are |
| out and buy yourself a quality loose-leaf notebook | | | | free. Most people wouldn't think of the Internet or |
| as one of your initial supplies. Separate the | | | | a website as a "supply," but once you get going |
| notebook into sections that you can organize by | | | | you'll regard these tools as impossible to work |
| families and or individuals. | | | | without. In fact, you will find that websites will be |
| Try to seek out long forgotten photos; they will | | | | your #1 tool. |
| be of utmost value to you. Connecting a | | | | The money you invest in a subscription-based site |
| photograph with a name makes that individual | | | | will be of great benefit to you; most are laden |
| "come to life." By carefully writing the name of | | | | with content that you'd have difficulty finding |
| the persons, places and dates on the backs of | | | | elsewhere. Genealogy software to help you with |
| the photo you'll be better able to identify it as you | | | | your work will be extremely helpful. You can |
| add it to your set of research. Protect your | | | | import your scans and associate them with the |
| photos by keeping them in a folder that | | | | right person in just about all of the software |
| corresponds to the various sections in your | | | | packages available. |
| notebook. Be certain to ask family members if | | | | Many templates you'll find will be very helpful to |
| they have a box or album of old photos. Looking | | | | you. Once you have a lot of family members to |
| at old photos is a lot of fun and an immensely | | | | add to your tree, you'll find that software |
| valuable approach for stimulating recollection of old | | | | becomes absolutely necessary. Things like maps, |
| stories. | | | | templates, forms and diagrams can be found |
| Birth and death certificates present a great deal | | | | easily on websites or inside genealogy software |
| of information. Baptismal certificates, military | | | | and they can be printed out for your use. Most of |
| service records, deeds and pretty much anything | | | | the time holding a physical copy of a document |
| that can help to shed light on your research will | | | | and reading from it will have more impact than |
| mean a great deal to you. Create an approach | | | | merely viewing them on your computer; don't be |
| and stay organized to avoid the disarray that | | | | afraid to print them out and share them among |
| disorganization brings. | | | | your relatives. You can easily be a genealogy |
| Consider automating your processes once you've | | | | hobbyist without investing in a lot of software or |
| gathered a substantial amount of data and | | | | other "supplies," but it's these supplies that will help |
| materials. An inexpensive scanner will be of a lot | | | | you enjoy your passion that much more. |