Start Your Genealogy Research: A Beginner’s Guide

Start With What You Know

Write down everything you know about your immediate family. This includes your date of birth and place of birth. Also include your parents’ birth dates and places of birth. Don’t forget your grandparents’ birth dates and locations. Include your great-grandparents if you have this information. Write down everything you think you know about your family, including immigration stories, war stories, legends, rumors, and tidbits.  In time, you will research everything and prove them to be facts or fiction.

Ask Questions

Talk to your family members, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Include extended family and forgotten relatives. Fill in as many blanks as you can. Keep a genealogy notebook. Write down their stories, ask about family traditions, and gather as many details as possible. Remember, even if it seems unclear or imaginative, record everything. Ask questions. You never know what will turn out to be a key piece of your family history puzzle.

Keep A Genealogy Notebook

Review your genealogy notebook often. Create a comprehensive list of all the information you collect. Note down what you will need to research further. It is vital to document your sources to guarantee the credibility of the information. Make sure that you include the date and location of these sources. Some facts will have multiple sources. Document these, too. This data will serve as a basis for further research. You will be able to trace your lineage through the generations. You can be confident in the accuracy of your findings.

Compiling these basic details in a genealogy notebook will keep you organized. It can spot missing pieces or sections in your research that need further investigation. Remember, every piece of information is a valuable clue in discovering your family history. Before long, your family history will start to take shape.

Compile these basic details in a genealogy notebook. This will help you stay organized. It will also help you identify gaps in your research that need further investigation. Every piece of information you gather acts as a valuable clue in unlocking your family history. With time and persistence, your family story will come together.

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