Things You'll Need:
- Organization system (files, folder, binders)
- Computer
- Printer
- Internet
- Tape recorder
- Video recorder
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Step 1
Create a system for maintaining your original copies of records as well as the information you put together. A low-tech way is to use binders and/or filing cabinets. Any way works as long as it makes sense to you and helps you keep your facts straight and easy to access.
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Step 2
Many companies have created computer software to keep track of information. They each vary in price, sophistication and user-friendliness.
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Step 3
There are lots of forms available to use to keep track of your findings; however not all are necessary.
A Pedigree Chart contains basic information on a single individual's direct line of ancestors.
A Family Group Record contains all the information about a single family. The information included here is the same as on the pedigree chart, only it is more in-depth.
A Research Extract includes all the pertinent information that will help you or someone else to locate the record again as well as the information found on the record.
Correspondence Records contain the names and contact information of the people you have contacted and spoken with, the dates of the correspondence, reasons for the correspondence, and the results of the correspondence.
Genealogy software contains blank forms you can use. A lot of genealogy websites offer these forms to the public, most are free, some are not. -
Step 4
Identify your research goal for each endeavor. Use your Family Group Sheet and Pedigree Chart to help you decided what you want to find for any particular search.
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Step 1
Start with yourself. What records do you have for yourself? How about your children and your spouse? Move from the known to the unknown. Filling in the blanks.
Contact living relatives. Keep in mind that you will often be getting what a person remembers, which may or may not be entirely accurate. For example, your grandfather might speak of a "Grandma Bell." It is entirely likely that Bell was short for her given name, a middle name, or even a nickname.
Be open-minded and polite. People have their own impressions, moral views and memories, which often will differ from yours. The different stories and views of an ancestor is what makes them come alive! Record the stories with an audio or video recorder. -
Step 2
Census records pinpoint your ancestors both in place and time. They show your family's migration patterns. They add information that gives depth to your ancestors.
Census records are located in the Nation Archives in Washington, D.C., or one of its branches. Microfilm copies are at local libraries and some historical societies. Scanned copies of originals can be found on the Internet at personal websites, genealogical websites and the National Archives website.
Search every available census for your ancestors; each census will have new information for you.
Census records may not be complete or correct or they may be but are illegible, town and county names change. Therefore, be thorough, make good notes, and cross-reference all information you find. -
Step 3
Because land was so important to our ancestors, the records they kept were often meticulous. Deed books often show family relationships (such as, "6 acres passed down from Uncle Joe, including the house and barn"). Land records are found at the Bureau of Land Management, the county recorder's office, libraries, historical and genealogical societies, and of course the internet.
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Step 4
Military records show service, next of kin, place of enlistment, deeds and awards achieved while in service. Most military records are located at the National Archives and Records Administration General Reference Branch.
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Step 5
The Internet has made finding ancestors and doing family genealogy easier, and more accessible to everyone. Someday, the Internet will probably hold every genealogical record in the world; today it only has a small fraction of them. Be patient, and recheck searches you have already done for newly added information and records.
