| Are you looking for the shortcut to building your | | | | copy. |
| family tree? Or, that one web site which has all | | | | Guideline #4: |
| the records and documents you need to help you | | | | Work on one family tree line at a time, e.g., your |
| find your ancestors? There are no shortcuts, | | | | mother's line, or your father's father's line. It is |
| unfortunately. Each person, each detail, and each | | | | much easier to keep looking for all the relatives in |
| relationship needs to be proven with high quality | | | | one line, than to be flipping all over your tree. |
| documents (sources) before you can even add an | | | | Remember that with only 5 generations, you will |
| individual into your family tree. However, here are | | | | have 30 surnames to search - that is a large |
| 6 guidelines for beginners in genealogy, to help | | | | number of lines to keep track of when you are a |
| you in your genealogy research. | | | | beginner in genealogy. You may see a clue on one |
| Guideline #1: | | | | document that helps you look for others in that |
| Put down everything you know - or think you | | | | family line in a different town or country. Or, you |
| know - about your relatives and their life events. | | | | may recognize the same unusual first name you |
| Dates, places, full names, nicknames, titles, | | | | saw in another family, giving you a clue to follow |
| education, religion, occupation(s), memberships in | | | | backwards. One clue leads to another, when you |
| groups and associations, land ownership, military | | | | are tracing your ancestors, one line at a time. |
| experience, and so on. Interview older relatives | | | | Guideline #5: |
| for their information as well; bring a few old | | | | Look first for documents about your ancestors |
| photographs to help start a discussion about | | | | which were written or generated at the time of |
| ancestors. You may also find that one older | | | | the life event: these are considered high quality |
| relative has a memoir or diary of a | | | | primary sources. Birth, marriage, and death (BMD) |
| greatgrandparent, or a scrapbook of the | | | | registrations and certificates are great examples |
| immigration from Europe to Canada. | | | | of such quality sources or proof of the details. |
| Guideline #2:Gather photographs (or copies) from | | | | Other examples would be ship or plane passenger |
| your extended family (cousins, aunts, uncles), and | | | | lists, letters which are dated and with the date |
| with help from any of the relatives, try to name | | | | franked on the stamp, education records, perhaps |
| and date family members in the photos as | | | | employment records, tax records, tax rolls, land |
| carefully and thoroughly as possible. Add other | | | | registries, pension application forms, naturalization |
| details about the photos: birthday celebration, | | | | records, passports, and so on. If a court or |
| family house, uncle's new car, name of the dog, | | | | church or government required a document to be |
| the neighbor from across the street who came | | | | made, it is likely to contain relatively accurate |
| from the same county in Ireland, etc. You are | | | | information. Take time to think about what sorts |
| trying to find every possible clue about your | | | | of other documents may have been developed |
| ancestors. Keep a pad of paper, so each photo | | | | during your ancestor's lifetime. |
| has its own note. In your future searches, you will | | | | Guideline #6:Finally, when you are looking at online |
| be surprised at how useful these notes can be! | | | | family trees (someone else's family tree which |
| Guideline #3: | | | | seems to include some of your ancestors), never |
| Using a family tree software program, input | | | | ever merge that other person's tree into your |
| individuals into your family tree, starting with | | | | tree. Unless - all of the individuals in the tree have |
| yourself. One at a time, add each detail and its | | | | details of the documents and other high quality |
| source. The source may be a birth certificate, a | | | | sources to support them. Other people's |
| baby book, a newspaper announcement, a | | | | information MUST be supported and proven |
| passport, and so on. Always list the wives with | | | | before you accept the details. You need to prove |
| their maiden name; if unknown, then list | | | | every relationship and detail. |
| "unknown" as their surname until you find it. Family | | | | By following these six simple guidelines, you will be |
| tree programs will automatically develop a Master | | | | able to build a family tree which is accurate, |
| List of sources which you can use for future | | | | detailed, and can stand up to scrutiny from any |
| individuals, making the process much easier. | | | | of your relatives. There is tremendous satisfaction |
| Programs may be free for downloading from the | | | | in doing genealogy research, both online and |
| internet, such as Legacy Family Tree or PAF (on | | | | offline, and great celebrations when you find one |
| FamilySearch), or may be included "free" or at a | | | | more ancestor! Finding just the right document will |
| reduced price with a one-year membership to a | | | | have you doing your little genealogy happy dance |
| commercial genealogy site. By the way, name | | | | regularly! Remember, genealogists live in the past |
| your family tree with the date, so you can keep | | | | lane, not the fast lane! Enjoy your searches for |
| track of files more easily. You may rename it | | | | your ancestors. |
| periodically, or whenever you save a new backup | | | | |