Welcome to my lens on genealogy sources. Below you will find tips and sources to use in pursuing your own family history project. Family histories can be fun and frustrating - so it's important to know what resources are available. Resources listed will be free and pay - both information and tools.
So You're Doing a Family History ...
Here are some things to think about.
The first thing you want to do is collect some basic tools for record-keeping. The second step is to use these tools to make a note of what you already know about your family. There are a variety of tools available - some are software programs while others are printed record sheets. You should have both. Software programs have the advantage that you can print off your family history in an easily read format - for taking with you on a research trip or for sharing with family. Printed sheets are needed for those excursions to the library, county records office, etc.
It can be tedious to annotate sources and so on, but you'll appreciate the value of this as your research progresses. Doing so prevents you from rechecking sources that you may have forgotten you had already looked at during an earlier research trip. Try to create your own personal shorthand if you find yourself skipping the source annotation step - less writing may make the step more palatable.
Know the difference between original sources and secondary sources. An original source is just what the name implies - a original form or document containing information useful to family history researchers. A secondary source is the most widely available. Secondary sources contain information collected from another source and includes things such as family history reports and books containing lists of information the author gathered and recorded.
Be careful of secondary sources. Many are presented as authoritative and sometimes may look like original sources. They are not. In fact, some authors may have gathered their information from yet other secondary sources. Do not trust any secondary source until you have found an original source to cooberate its information.
It can be tedious to annotate sources and so on, but you'll appreciate the value of this as your research progresses. Doing so prevents you from rechecking sources that you may have forgotten you had already looked at during an earlier research trip. Try to create your own personal shorthand if you find yourself skipping the source annotation step - less writing may make the step more palatable.
Know the difference between original sources and secondary sources. An original source is just what the name implies - a original form or document containing information useful to family history researchers. A secondary source is the most widely available. Secondary sources contain information collected from another source and includes things such as family history reports and books containing lists of information the author gathered and recorded.
Be careful of secondary sources. Many are presented as authoritative and sometimes may look like original sources. They are not. In fact, some authors may have gathered their information from yet other secondary sources. Do not trust any secondary source until you have found an original source to cooberate its information.
Education Opportunities
We never stop learning
Courses and lessons designed to expand your knowledge of genealogy research.
- BYU Online Genealogy Courses
- Free (yes, FREE) online courses from BYU.
- Genealogy.com University
- More online courses on how to conduct genealogy research.
- National Genealogical Society
- Courses from the U.S.'s national society dedicated to genealogical research.
- Pharos Tutors
- A British fee-based study program. The fees are low so if you need to do British or Irish genealogy, one of these courses might be a good place to start.
- Heritage Genealogy College
- Certificate, Associate, and Bachelor degrees in genealogy with many courses offered online.
Types of Original Sources
Gems of genealogy research
Here are examples of what can be considered original sources. These are the sorts of data sources that you most want when building your family history.
- Birth Certificates
- Marriage Certificates
- Death Certificates
- Completed Census Pages/Forms
- Church Records (of all types)
- Tombstones (many contain birth/death dates, full names, spouse name, children's names, parents' names)
- Wills
- Real Estate Records (including land grants)
- Military Records
- Pension Records
- Court Records
Online Genealogy Forms
A form for every occasion.
Check out forms from these sites. Pick the ones that are most appropriate for your research or that you may be most comfortable with using.
- Phillip Riley's Forms
- A wide variety of forms, mostly in PDF format.
- Ancestors Forms and Charts
- PDF format forms and charts from BYU.
- Family Tree Magazine Forms
- Huge array of downloadable forms in both PDF and DOC formats.
Reader Feedback
Let me know what you think.
Let me know what you think of the information I am providing or to share your own adventures in family history research.
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d-artist
great lens! you might find some of my lenses interesting if you are history buff or just like interesting facts. 5*s Posted January 26, 2008 |
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Evelyn_Saenz
You've come up with some of the best sources. Don't forget to ask older relatives and look in attics. Please check out Garner Rix and the Royalton Raid a>. Posted November 26, 2007 |
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KimberlyDawnWells
You're invited to join the Genealogy How To Group! http://www.squidoo.com/group/pick_lens/genealogyhowto Posted November 08, 2006 |
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heathrow
Useful stuff! Can't wait to see how this develops. Posted August 01, 2006 |
Genealogy Software from Amazon
Useful programs to aid in organizing your family history
I have some of these and if you're serious about doing a family history, then you should consider investing in one or more of them yourself.
![Family Tree Maker 2006 Deluxe [Old Version]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/612BTXNFSYL._SL75_.jpg)
Genealogy Tools
Programs to consider buying
Software programs designed to facilitate your genealogy research and record keeping.
- GenSmarts
- Part data-mining utility and part user interface ... this program claims to do it all.
- Family Tree Software
- Genealogy software for Mac-users.
- Family Tree Maker Software
- Possibly the most familiar family tree software in the United States.
Useful Genealogy Websites
Must visits for online researchers.
- Ancestry.com
- While Ancestry.com is a fee-based service, they do provide visitors with limited free data access.
- Rootsweb
- Most established free U.S. genealogy site with research links galor.
- The USGenWeb Project
- Online genealogy project dedicated to providing free access and help to genealogists everywhere.
- Family Search
- The LDS website offering free access to genealogy data and family trees drawn from the vast database being collected by the Church of Latter Day Saints.
Research Success
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