Beginner Genealogy -- Identify your sources

One important thing to remember about family history research is that you must keep track of your sources! What is a source? A source is anything that contains information you use in your family tree. These can include family sources like oral history interviews, family stories, obituaries, funeral cards, photographs, bibles, and other documents. As you continue researching your family tree, you will begin to find other sources including local records, county and state records, and even national or international records.

The important thing that I cannot stress enough about sources is to DOCUMENT them by providing complete CITATIONS for them. I carry several mantras that I learned in graduate school as an English major and one of them is "Cite your sources." Writing down source information will save you a lot of time and headaches in the future.

Basic citation information for any source will include information such as:

• Type of document
• Location of document
• Author or government agency
• Page number, volume number, or certificate number
• Date of document creation or publication

It is also helpful to include:

• Date of access
• Location of access (either online website or repository)

For visual learners, Ancestry.com's YouTube channel has a a slide presentation and step-by-step guide to citing sources in your online family tree or your family tree making software.

Family History in the News -- September 2015

A couple of family history and genealogy related news stories and blog entries from this past week:

Genealogy: Published data a source to check NJ.com
One particular source type that you may want to check out as you do your genealogical research is the published genealogy. These published volumes can be very helpful if you find one that lists an ancestor of yours, but they're not without their pitfalls either.

***I would add to this article that researchers can use Worldcat.org to search through millions of cataloged books held by both public and academic libraries. It is a great place to start your published family history search. Also, ask your local librarian if your library has a subscription to Heritage Quest and use the PERSI index to search for books and articles as well.***

Genealogy Today: Immigrant ancestors' work experience Green Valley News
Do you know what your ancestors did for a living? Did they continue in the same work they did in Europe after they came to America? We sometimes assume all the early settlers were farmers, but that is not necessarily true.

And just for fun...

J.K. Rowling reveals Potter family history on new Pottermore site  Entertainment Weekly
Pottermore, the online portal containing everything Harry Potter-related, has been spruced up. The site relaunched a “newly imagined” version Tuesday with an introductory note from Rowling, and an essay from the author, explaining the Potter family’s history.

Upcoming Topics: October 2015

New posts will now be available at least twice per week on Tuesday and Friday mornings! The "Beginner Genealogy" series will continue throughout September.

Topics in October include:

Beginner Genealogy -- we are happy to continue adding new topics under this popular new heading. Contact us using the submission form if you have any questions while starting your genealogy research or if there is a topic of interest to you that we haven't covered.

Ancestor of the Day -- in honor of Family History Month we will resurrect this popular series from years past. Each post will include information about an interesting ancestor and the investigative techniques and sources that helped to find them.

National Origins -- this new series will launch in October with "National Origins: Scotland." The goal is to provide specialized resources for research that involves ancestors from countries other than the United States. My own ancestry is fairly diverse, so I will begin with what I know. Feel free to request a post on any country's records and genealogy resources.

Archival Resources -- this is another new series that will launch in October. In this series we will profile different record types and include examples and visuals when available.

Beginner Genealogy -- Standard pedigree charts

Now we know how to discover basic genealogical information and how to record it in standard formats. What's next?

Perhaps the most popular chart to start with is a standard pedigree chart. Most are four or five generation charts and trace back to the starting person's great-great-grandparents. The numbering system on the charts is based on the Ahnentafel system, you can learn more about Ahnentafel charts in this previous blog post. Pedigree charts typically have room for full names in addition to the dates and locations of birth, marriage, and death.

Important things to remember about pedigree charts:

• Begin your first chart with yourself 
• Provide as much information as you can for each person 
• On numbered charts using the Ahnentafel system, person #1 is you, #2 is your father, #3 is your mother. Every subsequent man should have an even number and every subsequent women an odd number. 
• You can make as many subsequent charts as you'd like 

Below is an example of a work-in-progress pedigree chart: 

Family History in the News -- September 2015

This week I have compiled some genealogy and family history news stories that may be of interest to readers. Click on the headlines below to read more. Enjoy!

Genealogy Gold Mine: Millions of Wills Now Online Chicago Tribune

Thousands of amateur genealogists who fantasize about being left a fortune by a distant relative can now get a reality check. Starting Wednesday, upward of 100 million wills written over the last three centuries will be posted to Ancestry.com, the popular genealogical search engine.

DAR offers free online genealogy research tools Examiner.com

The DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS) is the free online portal to genealogical records maintained by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. It provides seven databases that contain a wealth of information to help potential DAR members complete membership applications, but even genealogists who do not plan to join DAR may find valuable information on their ancestors.

Genealogy records to be available online after closure of library East Valley Tribune

Many genealogy enthusiasts were very disappointed last month when the Arizona Genealogical Library was closed and the more than 20,000 documents that made up the archives split up and distributed between several different locations.

And for fun...

Seven dastardly deeds of genealogy Green Valley News

We’ve all heard of the seven cardinal vices, the Seven Deadly Sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony. We genealogists have our own list of dastardly deeds to consider, like refusing to share information because it is “ours,” or not verifying secondary sources.

Beginner Genealogy -- How to record basic info.

So, you have collected family history data through family sources and interviews, now what? 

Recording basic genealogical data can be a little overwhelming when you aren't used to genealogical record keeping. Luckily , there are a few basic standards to learn that will get you started. Record your information in standard genealogical forms and charts or family tree computer software. Note: in our next post, we will discuss standard pedigree charts. Below you will find basic genealogy information and the standard way in which genealogists keep track of it. 

Names: first, middle, surname (maiden name only for women)

            Dates for birth, marriage, death: use military style, example: 3 June 1873

            Locations: Record places using town, county, state
Record non-US countries using town, province/shire/county, nation

            Add as many details as you can or want: 
            stories, legends and traditions
            occupations
            biographies
            physical description 
            photos of people, houses, farms, businesses
            military service
            education
            immigration and naturalization
            letters
            family recipes
            transcriptions of oral histories

Beginner Genealogy -- Where do I start?

A common questions asked of genealogists is "where do I start?" My short answer is simple: start with what you know. Take out a sheet of paper and a pencil and jot down some family history notes.  Make a few phone calls or stop by to visit your aging relatives (if you're lucky enough to have some of those!) Don't be afraid to interview family members and write down everything.You never know when a scrap of information can present itself as a lead later on. Important pieces of information to include are: full names; names of spouses, children, and parents; dates of birth, marriage, and death; locations of birth, marriage, death, or residence;  After exhausting your own memory and those of your family members, look for written family sources. Do you have an old family bible? Photographs? Funeral cards or obituaries? Military papers? Other records? These family sources can be extremely helpful in getting started, even if they are not  properly sourced.

Good luck in getting started! This series of posts will continue with "Beginner Genealogy -- How to record basic info."

For more tips on getting started, visit the FamilySearch "Begin your genealogy quest" page. Are you more into vlogs or webinars? Try watching Ancestry.com's Back to the Basics: Genealogy 101 video on their YouTube channel.