Tracing Your Ancestors – 5 Simple Steps
Posted: Saturday, January 23, 2010
by Jeff Sallee
http://www.SecretsOfGenealogy.com
Once you have made the decision to start researching your family history, it can oftentimes be difficult to know where to start. The process of ancestry tracing can be a daunting and monumental task; however, the process can be broken down into smaller and easier to manage steps that can make the task at hand seem less overwhelming. Are you ready to get started down the path into the past? Here are five simple steps to help you on your way!
2. Create a list of the most important missing data! Start as close to home as possible; if you are unsure about your grandmother's maiden name, or where she was born, these details are more vital than details about an ancestry several generations back. These basic details will help provide important clues when it comes to the process of deep investigation. The more details that you are able to obtain about your closest ancestors, the more details you have to work with for additional branches.
3. One at a time! From your list of data that you have deemed to be most important, select one person to research at a time. Exhaust all possible avenues of research on that one person before you move onto the next person. Remaining focused on one name and one person at a time will make the project more manageable as well as help to ensure that you do not miss vital details from a relative's life because you are overwhelmed with all of the research data for several relatives at once.
4. Start Local!Your ancestry tracing project can start right in your own home town; you should be sure to pay visits to churches and government offices so that you can gather any available birth, marriage and death records. You could also take a look at the offerings from local schools, libraries, courthouses and cemeteries. You may be surprised at the amount of research data that can be provided by a simple local home town search. Once you have exhausted your local research options then you should start to search online to widen your search. Armed with all the information that you have gathered thus far, start researching (one person as a time) as much as you are able by searching online databases such as the Family History Library. As your research forges on, you should be sure to take note of any new names that are not yet on your list, for further inquiry in the future.
5. Document everything!Be sure to maintain good and clear records of your search, as well as of everything that you uncover. Be sure to cite all of your sources so that you will be able to refer back to them if you find yourself needing another look at the data they offered. Creating a basic family history chart can be very useful so that you can quickly glance at the connections between people and clearly see where there may be holes in your research.
These easy steps will help get you started on your research journey to learn more about your ancestry. Stay on track to avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the task at hand!
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Jeff Sallee is a hopeless genealogy enthusiast and also the author of "Family Tree Secrets: Guide to Creating Your Own Family Tree". Jeff truly enjoys helping others get started in this satisfying pursuit. For more information regarding his ebook or to see other ancestry tracing articles check out: www.SecretsOfGenealogy.com where Jeff exposes some of the latest secrets of genealogy research to other enthusiasts who want to climb higher into the family tree.
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