Family history research involves 8 basic steps. Each step is briefly explained below.
* Step 1. Remember Your Ancestors.
* Step 2. Use Sources in Your Home.
* Step 3. Ask Relatives for Information.
* Step 4. Choose a family or Ancestor You Want to Learn More About.
* Step 5. See If Someone Else Has Already Found the Information.
* Step 6. Search Records for Your Ancestor.
* Step 7. Record What You Find.
* Step 8. Share What You Found.
Step 1. Remember Your Ancestors.
Begin by remembering what information that you already know:
* Name
* Dates and places of important events such as birth, marriage, and death
* The town, county, state and country where they lived
* Occupation
Now you need a way to record this information.
* If you prefer writing information down you can use one of these two forms:
• Pedigree Chart—A pedigree chart lets you list your pedigree (your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and so on).
• Family Group Record—A family group record lets you list an entire family and their information. You will need several copies.
* Another way or place to write this information down is a book available for purchase that has places in which to record your information. The only problem with many of these books is it only gives you space to record as far back as ones Great, Great Grandparents. If you want or record farther back you will find it hard to.
* If you prefer using a computer, you can install a family history program of your choice.
Record the information you remember about your family on the forms or in a family history program.
* First fill out a form for your own family, and then work back to your parents and grandparents. And so on. You can quickly see what you know and what information is missing or incomplete.
Step 2. Use Sources in Your Home.
Look for sources in your home that might contain the missing or incomplete family information.
* Useful sources include birth, marriage, and death certificates; family bibles; funeral programs; obituaries; wedding announcements; family registers; and ancestral tablets.
Add this information to your pedigree charts and family group records.
Record the sources of the information (use the Notes or Sources section on the forms or in your family history program). This helps you and others know where the information came from.
Step 3. Ask Relatives for Information.
Make a list of other relatives and the family information they may have.
Contact the relatives—visit, call, write, or e-mail them.
* Be sure to ask specifically for the information you would like. (For example, "Do you know when Aunt Jane was born?")
Add the information to your pedigree charts and family group records.
Record the names of the relatives who gave you the information in Notes or Sources.
Congratulations - You have filled out family group records and pedigree charts with the information your family has. Now you are ready to look for information in other records.
Step 4. Choose a Family or Ancestor You Want to Learn More About.
Look for missing or incomplete information on your pedigree chart and family records.
Select a family or ancestor with missing or incomplete information.
* Start with the generations closest to you, and work your way back. Usually, it is easier to find information for a family member or ancestor born in a recent period.
* Another way to start is to choose an ancestor that you find really interesting. Perhaps who they are or part of their life is a mystery. Maybe you have a job or a hobby in common with the ancestor. Prehaps you share your name with this ancestor. If you choose to find out more about an ancestor that you find interesting, you will have more fun doing research on their life.
Step 5. See if Someone Else Has Already Found the Information.
Someone may be able to tell you want to know. It is best to find out what other family members already know
* The best place to start is ask what others know about what you are interested in. Be prepared to write down information and ask if they can share any documents they may have. This will likely require corresponding with this individual after the reunion.
* Another place to start is to inquire if any family member has created a a book, scrap-book or website of your ancestors history. This can be done during a family reunion. It can also be done by calling, writing or E-mailing relative and ask if any of these exist. Another way to find if someone made a website is to do a search using a search engine. To see if a book has been written, a good place to look is on Amazon.com or other online book selling sites.
Step 6. Search Records for Information about Your Ancestor.
There are several places to search. There are two places to search. Places you can visit in person and online database sites.
Places you can visit in person.
* Librarys (both your local library and librarys located where your ancestor lived)
* Historical Societies located where your ancestor lived.
* Court House and or City Hall records where your ancestor lived.
* Regional Genealogical Library and Research Centers.
* State History Archives
* Historical Museum for area your ancestor lived.
Places Online (Avoid sites that charge you to be a member or charge for their services. In most cases, with a little work you find the same info on other sites for free)
* US GenWeb Project sites.
* LDS's Family Search site (Church of Later Day Saints/Mormons)
* Historical Society Websites
* Online Forums and Message Boards
Step 7. Record What You Find.
This is an important step. You need to record what you find. Recording does not just include the facts you find. For every fact, you need to record the source, location of the source and what resources you used to gather the fact. Use the method of recording that you chose back in step 1.
Step 8. Share What You Found.
Create a way to share your findings.
* Create a Website
* Create/Write a Family History Book
* Create a Family History Scrap-book