| Researching your family history can be a | | | | genealogy. |
| rewarding and satisfying experience. Here are | | | | 7. Subscribe to a Genealogy Newsletter |
| some tips to make your exploration go smoothly. | | | | Many online genealogy websites offer a |
| 1. Gather All of Your Genealogy Information | | | | newsletter. Newsletters offer great tips on how |
| Before starting any type of genealogical research, | | | | to locate those hard-to-find ancestors. |
| it's a good idea to gather all of your known | | | | Newsletters will often explain how to use different |
| information. This way you will not waste time | | | | databases or tools and let you know when new |
| searching for people that you could have easily | | | | databases become available. It's also great to hear |
| found with just a phone call or a letter. You will be | | | | motivational and inspiring success stories of |
| amazed at how many names, birthdates, | | | | others, or share one of your own. |
| marriage dates and other details about your | | | | 8. Create a hard copy of the Genealogy |
| ancestors you can collect just by talking to family | | | | Information |
| members. | | | | In today's world of technology, we tend to want |
| You can also look through old records that family | | | | to digitize everything, but there are some good |
| members may have including journals, wills, deeds, | | | | reasons to create hardcopy information to go |
| baptism records and marriage, birth and death | | | | along with your digital data. |
| certificates. Spread the word that you're beginning | | | | Primarily, you're going to come across a lot of |
| a family tree or pedigree chart, and other family | | | | hard copy information as you do your research. |
| members may want to get involved. | | | | Remember computers have only been used to |
| 2. Become a Member of an Online Genealogy | | | | store information for a quarter century. You will |
| Chat Room | | | | likely come across old documents, journals, |
| Computers and the Internet connect thousands | | | | records and photographs. |
| of people from all over the world each day and | | | | Making a scrapbook of your findings is a great |
| there are tons of genealogy chat rooms. Take | | | | way to present your research to others. Looking |
| advantage-you can learn a lot from other | | | | at a computer screen with scanned documents |
| genealogists. This is a great way to learn the | | | | just isn't the same as flipping through a book. It |
| tricks of the trade and share success stories. | | | | really helps some people to create a giant |
| 3. Subscribe to an Online Genealogy Search | | | | pedigree chart or family tree in their office or den |
| Website | | | | so they can visualize the entire puzzle at one |
| Genealogy websites come with various features | | | | time. |
| and capabilities. You may want to use more than | | | | Binders are a good way to store information. As |
| one during your research. Some websites are | | | | your library increases, develop a binder system so |
| free of charge, like Rootsweb.com, while more | | | | information is organized and easy to find. |
| comprehensive sites, like Ancestry.com, require a | | | | 9. Backup Genealogy Data Often |
| subscription fee. Before choosing a site make sure | | | | Maybe you've heard horror stories, or have one |
| it's going to provide the information that you | | | | of your own that ends with the words, "and |
| need. Remember some sites search by country | | | | that's when I lost everything." The importance of |
| or ethnic background-these can work to your | | | | backing up computer data cannot be stressed |
| advantage if you're looking for ancestors from a | | | | enough. Today's backup software makes |
| certain country. However, if you're not, the site | | | | protecting and storing your valuable data more |
| will do you little if any good. | | | | convenient than ever. There are a number of |
| 4. Make Genealogy Research Fun and Gratifying | | | | different programs to get the job done. Find the |
| There is usually no monetary award for doing | | | | one that has the features you need, is |
| genealogy, and knowing who your | | | | user-friendly and in your price range. |
| great-great-great-grandfather is, typically won't | | | | There are also various ways of storing data. You |
| get you ahead in life. So-why do people do | | | | can use 3.5-inch floppy disks, zip drives, CDs, |
| genealogical research? | | | | DVDs, USB flash drives and external hard drives. |
| People research their past for a number of | | | | Again, choose the one that suits you best. As |
| reasons, but everyone who is involved in | | | | you gather more information, you may want to |
| genealogy does it because they enjoy it. They | | | | invest in a safety deposit box or a fireproof safe |
| find satisfaction in learning about their roots. | | | | to protect your family history. |
| Remember you are learning about real people | | | | 10. Verify Genealogy Information Found on Web |
| who once walked the earth. Instead of just | | | | Sources |
| learning names and dates, try to find stories | | | | We like to think that everything found on the |
| about your ancestors, look for pictures and | | | | web is accurate and true. However, you should |
| diaries. In some cases, you may be able to | | | | always verify any genealogy information found on |
| interview someone who knew the person. | | | | the web, no matter where you found the |
| 5. Use Various Genealogical Resources | | | | information. The best way to verify information is |
| There are so many sources available to | | | | to locate and research the source. Many |
| genealogists it's a good idea to use a number of | | | | databases include a list of sources but sometimes |
| them during your investigations. Don't put all of | | | | you'll come across one that doesn't. In this case, |
| your efforts into one website. Use a number of | | | | look at dates and the type of information and ask |
| different websites and databases. | | | | yourself what type of source would provide that |
| There are also genealogy libraries where you can | | | | information. |
| conduct your research. The largest of these | | | | At some point in your research, you will |
| libraries, The Family History Library, owned and | | | | encounter conflicting information-maybe different |
| operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of | | | | middle initials or birthdates. Carefully evaluate each |
| Latter-Day Saints, has satellite libraries all over the | | | | source and try to find other sources with the |
| world and is open to the public at no charge. It | | | | same information to shed light on the |
| houses the records of close to a billion people and | | | | inconsistencies. |
| offers other resources as well. A library like this | | | | Genealogy is an exciting and rewarding pastime |
| can be a great asset if there is one in your area. | | | | that will link the generations and bring families |
| 6. Involve the Entire Family | | | | together. |
| Build a family tree and family relationships at the | | | | References |
| same time-genealogy is a project the entire | | | | Casselman, Bryce. Why Backup your Computer |
| family can work on and contribute their findings. | | | | Data?. [2005] 22 Sept. 2005 |
| You can start an email or snail-mail newsletter to | | | | Powell, Kimberly. Five Steps to Verifying Online |
| share experiences and information with family | | | | Genealogy Resources. [2005] 22 Sept. 2005 |
| members. Family reunions are also a time when | | | | Sowton, Robin. The History Slice: Getting |
| the whole family can get together, share stories | | | | Organized-Setting Up a Binder System. [1999] 22 |
| about forefathers and foremothers and work on | | | | Sept. |