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Researching Your Family Tree

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Get Started in Genealogy

I have been researching my family tree since I was in high school. Along the way, I have learned a lot. Genealogy has also changed over the years. You can find much of what you need to know without leaving your home or taking a trip to the library, because almost everything is being digitized and computerized. If you are new to genealogy, here is some information that you might find helpful.

Start Charting Your Family Tree - Genealogy for Beginners

Genealogy is a popular hobby. Who doesn't want to know a little bit about their family's past? It's also a hobby that can be intimidating for newcomers, who might hear about census records, research logs, and microfiche and want to run for cover. While some of the more advanced genealogy techniques might scare off the newcomer, beginning the genealogy journey is pretty easy, and begins at home.

Start With Yourself

You already know some genealogical information. If you're like most people, you probably know when and where you were born. You probably know the names of your parents. If you are married or have children, you know the names and dates of birth of your spouse and children. Read more about genealogy for beginners->>

picture taken by sxc.hu/normaldude

Useful Genealogy Web Sites

You might wonder where to continue your genealogy after you get started. After you've gathered as much information about your family as you can, you'll want to move on. But where?

Find out as much information you can about genealogy. Visit web sites like these to learn more.

  • Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com is one of the giants in the field of genealogy. They have some free access, but most of their best databases require you to pay a fee. There is a library edition that you can access from many libraries around the country that subscribe.
  • Rootsweb.com. This used to be a completely separate web site from Ancestry, but it has been bought by the giant. It's free to use, and has plenty of useful, user-submitted databases. I've found a lot of great information here.
  • Cyndi's List. This collection of web sites has been on the internet for about as long as there has been internet genealogy. It's certainly worth a visit.
  • Familysearch.org. Sponsored by the Church of Latter Day Saints, there is a lot of great information here. Find how-to information and databases. You can search the microfilm and microfiche. It has some of the information you can find at Ancestry, except it's free.
  • Genealogy.com. A competitor to Ancestry.com. Free genealogy classes are available online here.

Great Genealogy Lenses

If you're interested in learning about Genealogy, you'll want to know as much as possible. Here are some great how-to lenses with some good information.
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Family History Stories Are Not Always True

Old family history stories are not always true. My grandma told me that her grandma told her that she was Woodrow Wilson's cousin. I did some research, and I discovered the truth about this story. Read The Story->>

photo by sxc.hu/hortongrou

Family History Magazines

Pick your favorite!

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Family Tree Magazine

Family Tree Magazine

Family Tree Magazine1 point

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Evertons Genealogical Helper

Evertons Genealogical Helper

An aid to help people in their research for their more...0 points

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Family Chronicle

Family Chronicle

Contains articles of interest to individuals resea more...0 points

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Ancestors

Ancestors

The Public Record Office is the national archive o more...0 points

Census Records

Census records are available 72 years after they are taken. The latest available census came out in 1930, and the 1940 census will be available in 2012. There are plenty of things that you can learn from a census:

  • Where your ancestors lived during the census year.
  • Brothers and sisters of your ancestors.
  • Parents of your known ancestors, if they live together.
  • What state your ancestors were born in (or country, if they were born out of state).
  • What their address was.
  • The year your ancestors were born.
  • Whether your ancestors were married at the time of the census.


Every census year has a little bit different information. The older censuses do not list every person in the country, just the head of the household and how many people were living there.

It might take a few searches to find some of your ancestors, even if you know where they lived at the time. If you don't find an ancestor in a census, search with nicknames. Search for their siblings. That can help you find the ancestor that you are looking for, which might be living with the ancestor that you were looking for at the time.

Keeping Track of Everything

When you only have a handful of relatives in your family tree, it's easy to keep track of everything with just paper and a pencil or pen. When you start getting a few hundred people in your family tree, it starts to get difficult to keep track of everything. This is where a program like The Master Genealogist comes along.

There are free genealogy programs that you might want to start out with. Personal Ancestral File seems to be popular. I used to use a simple program that is no longer available. The Master Genealogist is a more advanced program.

What's so great about this program? You can create a tag for just about everything. It's easy to cite your sources (this is something that you should do; it's easier to do if you cite sources from the start). You can create a report on just about anything. It will figure out the relationships between just about anybody (if there is one). You can integrate it with photos. Nearly everything that I would like to do with this program, I can.
The Master Genealogist Gold Edition

The Master Genealogist Gold Edition

Amazon Price: $99.99 (as of 05/26/2012)Buy Now

The Master Genealogist is one of the most useful programs out there. There is something of a learning curve to it, but if you have been doing genealogy for a while, I highly recommend it.

Genealogy Books You Might Like

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Discovering Your Family's Ancestry With A Family Tree

There are different steps that you can take in order to create your family tree. These include starting with what you know, getting organized, and checking out free internet resources. For more information, Read the article->>

Be Sure to Cite Your Sources!


"I will cite my sources." Mug by clairice16
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Family History Resources in Mesa, Arizona, and the East Valley

If you live in Phoenix's East Valley and are interested in genealogy, you're in luck. There are many resources right in your backyard. For a list of resources available in the area, Read the Story->>

Genealogy Videos

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Reader Feedback

  • dc64 Mar 2, 2011 @ 5:17 pm | delete
    My cousin and I have been researching our ancestry and have found that we are descendants of the Huguenots. It was exciting when we found we could trace our ancestry back as far as 1430. It is very exciting and we could not have done this without the internet and online sources. We are on Ancestry.com and that site makes it much easier to do research. I suggest everyone try to trace their ancestry, it is fun and oddly connects you to people you have never known.
  • KitandCaboodle Feb 19, 2011 @ 8:18 pm | delete
    Great lens! I've hit a roadblock with my family tree. Part of my heritage includes Native American, specifically the Osage tribe. I'll try some of these resources listed to see if I can trace back more.
  • BizGuides Feb 12, 2011 @ 7:37 pm | delete
    Very inspiring to have one start checking out one's lineage
  • d-artist Jan 20, 2011 @ 7:12 pm | delete
    What an excellent lens! I have done genealogy for many years and did discover one thing, the people that lived in the colonies seemed to all inter-marry, so one can be related through many ways, so you also may be related to Woodrow Wilson, even if it isn't a cousin but through a line of a distant cousin.
    I actually had someone come to one of my lenses saying they were related to me through my mom's side of the family and they had photos, hard to believe I finally found someone on that line, as most where on the East (communist) side of Germany and could not find information..so one never knows.
  • ShamanicShift Dec 7, 2010 @ 11:59 am | delete
    This is a great instructive and interesting guide for me, a genealogy beginner.
  • OneFootPutt Nov 17, 2010 @ 4:08 pm | delete
    Lots of good information for beginning Geneologists. I've been researching my wifes and my family trees for over 15 years and it never gets boring.
  • Margo_Arrowsmith Nov 6, 2010 @ 4:19 pm | delete
    I am lensrolling this to my lens of Family Legends I would love to have you add to that as this lens shows you understand!
  • reasonablerobinson Jan 10, 2010 @ 2:22 am | delete
    This is a very useful lens Brooke. I've lensrolled it to help people checking out their English /Scottish ancestry on my lens Border Reiver Families. Thanks!
  • saritajain86 Apr 18, 2009 @ 2:38 am | delete
    Good job.
  • saritajain86 Apr 18, 2009 @ 2:29 am | delete
    Great going, Keep it up.
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Brookelorren

Brooke Lorren has been researching her family tree since high school, has discovered all her ancestors to four generations back, and has researched so... more »

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