Genealogy has become the number one hobby in the United States. For someone that is just beginning the journey into the
past, the road can seem a bit confusing. The following outline is a map of the steps a beginner can take to become familiarized
with the terrain. There is an abundance of books written on the subject, however it is always good to get the big picture
before digging into the details.
Collect what you have
Birth Certificates
Baptismal Certificates
Marriage Certificates
Death Certificates
Burial records
Journals
Diaries
Wills
Maiden names
Deeds to land
Family legends
Organize yourself
Organize by family
Alphabetize family group records by last name
Organize your pedigree charts (ancestry)
Organize
your descendant charts (descendants)
Organize County folders (repositories, maps, etc.)
Keep a Correspondence log
Keep a Research log
Keep a To-Do list
Set aside space to store records in the home
If you have a computer,
get a family file program
Set a Goal, nothing gets done by wishful thinking
Use manila and/or hanging folders
Use
a notebook
Helps and Tips you've found
Research the whole family, sibling info too
Ask your relatives
Close relatives
Distant relatives
Family organizations
Family Bibles
Family Photo Albums
Journals
Diaries
Family legends
Gedcom files
Document your sources!
Photocopies of documents
Book titles
Volumes
Page numbers
Microfilm numbers
Microfiche numbers
Individual
ID's, when found
Documents
Serial numbers
Certificate numbers
Repository name where document found
Author
Source
Publication information
Printer name
Date of publication
Look for outside help
Libraries
Family History libraries
State libraries
University libraries
Family History Centers of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Internet organizations
Family History websites
Family organizations
County genealogical societies
State genealogical societies
Foreign country organizations
Genealogical websites
Genealogical societies
Genealogical e-mail groups
Newsgroups
Mailing lists
Vital Statistics sites
Professional
Genealogists
Sources
Census records!
Parish records (Bishop's transcripts, etc.)
Cemeteries
Newspapers (obituaries and births)
Immigration records (into a country)
Emigration records (exiting a country)
Ships passenger lists
School records
Naturalization records
Military records
Social security records
Court records
Official documents (county
records)
Business filings
Wills
Deeds
Hospital records
Criminal records
Bankruptcy records
How
to genealogical primers
Maps
Gazetteers
Trade journals
History books (trace migrations)
The International
Genealogical Index (IGI)
Ancestral File
Pedigree File
Many CD's with vital statistics records
Microfilms
Microfiches
Publish your findings
Send copies to relatives
Publish your own Family History
Donate your family file to the Ancestral File
Make
your work available to Genealogical Societies
Help others
Join a Genealogical Society
Join a genealogical link
Help make cemetery/grave stone records available
Help
extract and enter data from original records
About the author: Dale Lee is a computer consultant who has been involved in Genealogy for over 12 years. For information
on how to publish your own Family History or book manuscript, please visit
http://www.LeeSysInfo.com.
