5 Easy Habits to Discover More of Your Family Tree

Improvement in anything usually comes down to improving habits. That includes genealogy! Here are 5 genealogy research habits that will help you discover more of your family history with less frustration!

Chapters:
0:00 Improving habits
0:23 Read introductions before you search
1:37 Try different search terms (you might be using too many!)
2:46 Cite your sources (it isn't just for professional genealogists!)
4:09 Ask a research question
4:55 Write more

#genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry

📙 Amy's book "31 Days to Better Genealogy" is available on Amazon:
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[deborahpondermance]

The writing is really important if you want your research to have meaning and value to your family. Most people need something in narrative form (not just names and dates) to understand their family history. I wrote a book on my maternal family history, tracing them from the late 1600s in Italy through their immigration and assimilation in America, and was pleasantly surprised by how many family members of all types wanted to read it and have copies to pass on to their children and grandchildren. I am proud to say that my book was accepted into the Library of Congress and will be a permanent record.

[beckyewing]

One that I was surprised you didn't mention was Always look at the image if there is one, not just the transcription. Quite often, there are transcriptional errors that can cause a correct record to be disregarded.

[evabachman]

We're told that we should "bring life" to our research by going beyond putting the historical dates and places into a narrative form. I agree, kind of. I started writing because I discovered that while my aunts and uncles loved that I was doing family history research, they did NOT understand even simple family group sheets or pedigree charts. When I put it into a narrative form, it did two things 1) helped them be able to "read" the story (and, surprise, they added memories to them!) as well as 2) helped me evaluate the information and identify missing elements not typically seen on a FGS/Pedigree chart. I still write the information in short narrative form about the ancestors, but have added to it as I've found interesting stories (another benefit of starting the process in story form using available software- you can add to it!). Using multiple ways to think about information should be encouraged, even in its basic form. Thanks for being the great teacher you are!

[feliciagaffney]

I've always written a narrative of my ancestors' stories as I find their information. It helps to put all your documents in context, and fleshes out your ancestors making them humans and not just a list of facts.

It can also help to follow their trail and see where you might want to go next to hunt out your next documents.

Based on a couple of Censuses, this one couple were both from one county (born there), their first daughter was born there, their next daughter was born in the next county over (or was the next county formed between those births?), and then they moved halfway across the state where they stayed for the rest of their lives and the rest of their children were born.

I track neighbors on Census records and mark if I find relatives nearby, as well. Obviously, your ancestors interacted with most if not all of their neighbors. Sometimes you can find missing folks checking in these places. Maybe grandma was moved into brother's house 3 doors down but her name was horribly butched in transcription b/c the enumerator had poor handwriting or misheard the name. You wouldn't find her doing a search for her.

[brucespaulding]

You are the best of many genealogists!

[tedbrown]

If you make a book or have a book made of your genealogy then you will have a record that outlives you. I did and now have a 400 page family history book that dates back to the 1500's.

[chieffamilygenealogyoffice]

I learned the hard way about citing sources. I had 600 pages of Swedish records without citing their source. Am down to 400 after trying to find the originals…..😳

[yvonnefarrell]

Listing categories of subjects - such as countries from which your ancestors immigrated, military service, etc, helps organize research on paper too.

[conniebunte]

Along with the page numbers for my sources, I try to remember to write the image numbers, especially if it's a record that has a lot of pages. I also extract deeds and tax records onto a spreadsheet so I have the basic information at hand and don't have to read them more than once.

[yesterdayistoday]

I wrote up a book on my for my maternal grandmothers side of the family and found out exactly what you said, that I didn't have all the info i needed and ended up finding out WAY more than I would have if I didn't start making the book. I have yet to give it to her and I'm so excited to!

[ennasus]

I started recently to bring all the data I found about one ancestor together on one word document. I listed dates, names and dates of children and put the sources in the footnotes. I use the comment function to right questions and clues. For example on the death certificate were listet all living children at the date of death by the reverend of the church. But one child, my ancestor who was still alive at that point, was not mentioned. Was it because he lived elsewhere and the reverend didn't know him? Or had he become estranged? Why? Or did he not belong to that family entirely and my research result was wrong? So I already have my research questions ready for my next session. Thank you for all your tipps, Amy! They are a great help and a strong source of motivation for me and for many others I bet!

[jenniferdaniels]

One of my mom's cousins made a slide show with a bunch of family pictures and names. Maybe I can make a new one with some of the info I found on some of the ancestors.

[ridif]

All excellent points ! I try following them all, but found writing up your research on individuals or couples, really shows you what you know and don't know and can give direction for future work.

[reginaromsey]

Read the original of various records. The typed out portion can be wrong. The person who typed it may have miss read that name!

[jacquievickerspioneerresea]

Really great presentation. Made me think... I need to write more! Thank you Amy!

[SandyD]

Great tips, and a few never crossed my mine to do.

[The_Prenna]

These are really handy tips. Thank you. The fifth tip is a bit tricky for me at this stage. All I have are names, dates, and locations. Not a lot to write about sadly.

[charlayned]

I've been working through sources. I really want to see (or write) an article with the title "Alias Smith and Browns." I have had the worst trouble with my paternal grandparent's lines. Granny Brown was a Smith, and Grandpa Brown was...a Brown. I knew them, have their families but going further back can get really sticky. I've bungled the line on the Smith side a few times, following the wrong person and had to go back and start stripping out and redoing. I keep a notebook as well as the actual software so I have sources and such so I can transfer the information when I need to.

I do have one "bad" habit (if you can call it that). I'm a historian and a fiction author. Either thing can grab my attention and drag me into places I haven't seen before. Start looking into the Georgia Smith line and get attention taken away to state history, county history, or other things. As for writing, I love doing that so I get more things down.

Thanks for the list!

[jholmansky]

I always skip the introductions. I guess maybe I should start reading them. Thank you for the tips. And you're right about the writing -- once I start, it always brings up more questions.

[donnahogle]

I love this, thanks so much for your great work.