Tips on Finding Out Your Geneaology
- The genealogy section of the Jelley Jar website offers a number of tips for novice genealogists. These include a series of questions to ask relatives, ensuring that important information isn't missed because the right line of inquiry wasn't followed. While some of the tips may seem obvious ("bring a notebook, pencil, tape recorder, lots of blank tapes, and a camera"), they are nonetheless important to keep in mind, and may prove revelatory for the inexperienced beginner.
- The website Genealogical Journeys in Time offers 25 tips for those preparing to start researching their family histories. Since researching genealogy can generate a lot of paperwork, the first tip advises a budding genealogist to set up system to keep information organized; investing in a genealogical software program to aid the organizational process is also recommended. Other tips include keeping a research log, interviewing as many relatives as possible and asking all relatives if they have any family Bibles, which were often used to record family information and passed down through the generations.
- The USGenWeb Project, produced by volunteers throughout the U.S., aims to provide a comprehensive set of links to Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the country, free of charge for users. The site maintains a page of helpful links on a variety of topics including tips on how to get started; information on British naming patterns during the 1700s and 1800s; and a link to a site that cross-references and translates foreign names into their English equivalents.
- The website Genealogy Tutor Tips offers a variety of helpful tips and resources that is varied enough to serve both the beginner and a more-experienced researcher who may have run into an obstacle along the way. Produced by "genealogy tutor" Beverly Whitaker, the site includes information on the best places to search for family records, tips on searching federal census data and even a section discussing DNA testing, with links to other sites that can flesh out an investigation. In addition, the site provides links to online genealogy instruction courses.