| Building your family tree is like building a house, | | | | sources". |
| brick by brick. The bricks are your ancestors, | | | | There is a specific way to write down the details |
| their names, life events and details. But the | | | | about the source you are using to prove the |
| mortar that holds the bricks together is absolutely | | | | genealogy relationships. Check online for guides |
| essential, if that house is going to stand up. What | | | | you can use; search on for possible sites with |
| is the 'mortar' in your genealogical house of | | | | citation guides. Follow the prompts of your family |
| bricks? Proof. Here are a few guidelines on how | | | | tree software program for each individual, |
| to prove your family tree, step by step. | | | | referring to all those details you wrote down in |
| FIRST STEP: Keep all details written down as you | | | | the very First Step above. Do not be tempted to |
| find them. | | | | skip this important step - it is as essential as the |
| As you find an ancestor, a name, a date, a place, | | | | mortar in your brick house. Without citing your |
| write down all the details on your research | | | | sources, your family tree is simply not believable, |
| worksheet. Write the correct full title of the book | | | | and can be blown down by any relative who |
| or article or Census or other item. If you are | | | | questions your work. While it may feel rather |
| online, using cut and paste, add the correct web | | | | fiddly at first, you will soon be feeling comfortable |
| address (url) and the date you accessed the web | | | | with the process of adding sources correctly. The |
| page. Right-click and copy images from the web | | | | bare bones so that others can find your source: |
| to your research/family folder. Immediately retitle | | | | title, [edition], author, date of publ, publisher, url if |
| it, and add all the necessary information, plus | | | | online, date accessed if online, comments if |
| write down the name of the person to whom | | | | needed for clarification. |
| you will be attaching the image or photo or.pdf | | | | FINAL STEP: File all of your genealogy information, |
| item. Do not lose these important details! | | | | regularly. |
| SECOND STEP: Work on one ancestor at a time. | | | | Avoid the piles of information and records and |
| Prove that your grandfather's mother and father | | | | copies placed on every flat surface! Instead, keep |
| are truly this particular man and that particular | | | | documents, photos, scans and other copies in a |
| woman. Find the documents which list and prove | | | | logical filing system so that you can find them |
| the relationships between those two generations. | | | | again, both quickly and easily. On your computer, |
| Repeat: Do the same work, one step further | | | | use the very same filing system you use at your |
| back. Remember that there could easily be | | | | desk; keep items organized in binders with tabs, |
| several individuals with the same name, roughly | | | | labels, and clear sleeves. Make sure you are using |
| same age, in the same community, since children | | | | archive-quality paper and sleeves for your |
| might well be named after a parent or sibling(s). | | | | precious materials! Eventually you may want to |
| Make no assumptions - prove that relationship | | | | write up or scrapbook your family tree, or have a |
| with birth records, marriage records, death | | | | family reunion; having a logical well-planned |
| records, censuses with all the correct names and | | | | organizational system is essential for this purpose |
| ages, etc. Obituaries may also be useful, or | | | | as well. More details of specific organization |
| gravestones with other children's graves in the | | | | methods or styles are available online, in family |
| family plot. Perhaps a history of early settlers in a | | | | tree magazines, or in library genealogy books. |
| town lists the marriages and children (with birth | | | | Rather than simply copy someone else's |
| dates) for several generations. Censuses can be | | | | information and family tree - much of it |
| checked every 10 years to confirm relationships | | | | un-proven and un-sourced - take the extra few |
| over time. Look for a widowed parent living with | | | | minutes to prove each relationship with your |
| a married daughter or son's family. Military | | | | sources, and prove all the details in your family |
| records, wills, pension applications: these and more | | | | tree. Finding and recording your ancestors can be |
| may help prove the relationship between 2 | | | | a very exciting and tremendously satisfying |
| generations in your family tree. | | | | hobby. Enjoy your searches - and - cite all your |
| THIRD STEP: Learn the correct way to "cite your | | | | sources! |