Researching your lineage is not an easy task. It takes a lot of patience and time to sort through records, dates, names and so on. My mother-in-law has a binder full of photocopies, pictures and such that she gathered while researching her lineage. It has taken her years to accumulate these documents, but her hard work has paid off. She now knows so much of her family history. I, on the other hand, barely know anything about my last living grandparent. So where does someone like me begin to research my lineage? How about the Internet?
The Internet won’t give me all the answers I need, but it will give me some and it will help make my research a little more convenient. As a beginner though, it is hard to know how or where to start searching online. Below are some tips I have found helpful during my research. I would like to share them with you.
1. Learn to Search. The better your searching skills are the better your results will be. Read, Finding Your Ancestors on the Internet. This is a valuable article. I mean it. It taught me tricks like using a process called search engine math where symbols such as the plus and minus signs between names can make a world of difference in the value and the amount of results that pop up.
2. Official Documents Online. There is a lot of information that can be found on official documents. For example, when you look on someone’s birth certificate you will notice their date of birth, their place of birth, number of siblings and the name of the parents. All this information can help you determine that the person you are researching is or is not part of your family tree. To find official documents online such as: birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates you can visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
3. Online Library. The library has always been a useful place to learn about history. Visit the library online for your research. Many online libraries have a feature that allows you to email a librarian if you hit a snag during your research.
4. Obituary Searches Online. If you need to find out if or when someone died, a good place to look online is an obituary database. There are various free online obituary databases, but not all will suit your needs since some contain the information of 1 or 2 countries at a time. You may have to try out a few before you find what you need. For a good list of obituary sites turn to Obituaries & Biographies: Guide Picks.
5. Message Boards. During your search you may come across a question that really needs an answer before you can find the next person on your family tree. A message board allows you to go online and ask those questions. For example, you have a question about a cotton plantation in or around New Orleans, LA in the late 1800s. Post your question on the message board and you may just get an answer. A good message board to try is Roots.
6. Extra Information Helpful. Sometime you need a little extra information before you can search online for vital statistics, legal documents, and military records. A person’s age, middle initial, place of birth, time in the service, number of children, etc., can all be considered extra information. So gather everything you know about this person because the more you know the easier it will be to verify if he belongs on your family tree.
7. Locate the Source. When you find some valuable information through your online research it is important to verify the source of the Information. Just because it is online doesn’t mean it is true. It doesn’t mean that it isn’t true either. If a source cannot be found contact the website and ask for sources. Learn more about checking and verifying sources here.
8. Genealogy Search Engines. Use search engines specific to genealogy to look up family names. Because you are using a genealogy search engines you will not need to include search terms like: genealogy. Start with Ancestor Hunt and go from there.
9. Take a look at the, 101 Ways to Research Your Family Tree for Free, by Kimberly Powell. This is valuable.
10. Someone’s Already Looking. Chances are a relative of yours has already begun to build the family tree. Surname databases may provide the search history of your family name on file and the contact information of the relative looking for the family name. Contact that relative and see if you can finish the tree together.
Like I mentioned before, the Internet will not provide all the answers you are looking for, but it can provide some of the answers. It will also help make the search for your ancestors a little more convenient and all the more enjoyable. Happy family hunting everyone.
