Genealogical
Research is the process of asking the five following questions over and over
again:
1. What do I know about my family?
Begin your genealogical research by
filling out the Pedigree Chart. Begin with yourself on number one and continue
backward in time. If you don't know exact dates or places, simply provide your
best "guesstimate".
The New England Historic Genealogy Society has an excellent pedigree chart here.
2. What do I want to learn about my family?
To answer the second question,
select an ancestor you would like to learn more about. If possible, select one
who was born before 1930. (1930 is the most current census available) Work on
just one ancestor at a time. Identify what you want to learn, such as where
and when the person was born, married or died, served in the military, etc.
3.
What will solve my research problems?
Many documents/sources contain
information or evidence to help solve your research problems. Use these to
document every fact on your pedigree chart such as names, dates, places, and
relationships. Document your family tree with evidence from a variety of
verifiable, independent sources. Don't rely on sources published or otherwise,
that cannot be verified. Reliable genealogical research is based on the
quality of the evidence gathered, not the quantity.
Evidence
is generally divided into two major categories:
1. Primary evidence: Primary
evidence is created at or near the time of an event (such as birth,
marriage, death or census records) and is based on firsthand knowledge,
whether oral or written. Primary evidence is also known as "best
evidence."
2.
Secondary evidence: Secondary evidence is second-hand or based on hearsay.
It is less reliable and best used as a guide to locating records that
provide original/primary evidence.
Information
that has been transcribed, translated, abstracted or extracted
A report by someone who was not
witness to the event
Information drawn from indexes,
compiled sources or compendia
Histories, genealogies, family
traditions or legends
A single document may contain both
primary and secondary evidence. For instance, the facts in a death certificate
listing the name of the deceased with date and place of death written by the
attending doctor at or near the time of death are primary evidence. Information on the same death certificate providing the deceased's date and
place of birth and names of parents could be secondary evidence if the
individual who provided the information did not have first-hand knowledge of
these facts.
Also, there can be a variety of
records that may provide similar information. If one record is not available,
try another. For instance, to get information on someone's death, you might
obtain an obituary, probate record, death certificate, a tombstone
inscription, church register entries and/or a Social Security Death Index
entry.
You can search the Social Security Death Index for free at RootsWeb by
clicking here.
4. Where do I find records?
A growing number of online sites
are available to assist genealogists to locate information about their
ancestors. We have included several of them on our links page. However,
remember that all records created before the 1900s were handwritten, and much
of the information you find on the Internet has been posted by researchers who
may not have checked the original records. Be sure to carefully evaluate the
compiled information you find published online or in books, and be prepared to
check the original sources by visiting libraries, courthouses, and
archives.
The National Center for Health Statistics has an
excellent listing of where to write for vital records here.
5. What do I do next?
Organize and Record:
Organize your records for access.
Carefully record your information on pedigree charts and family group sheets,
or use one of the many available genealogy computer programs. Keep a checklist
of all the records you look at, and make copies of key documents. There are
many excellent handbooks and forms that can show you how to organize and
document your family research.
Evaluate:
Genealogical research is a
continuing process of finding pieces of a puzzle. Evaluate the accuracy of
each new piece of information and see what additional information and/or
sources it might lead you to. Do this by answering the original five
questions. Consult the library staff for suggestions on what to do next and
for research strategies.
Identify Sources not available at
SGHRL:
Additional sources of information
are available elsewhere. Some of these sources are:
At Home: Some of your best sources
of genealogical information may be your own family and home records, such as
Bibles, old letters, scrapbooks, diaries, copies of vital records (birth,
death, and marriage certificates), school records, military records,
obituaries, deeds, and wills. You may need to visit or correspond with
relatives in order to locate some of these records; a visit to the cemeteries
your relatives are buried in may also be necessary.
In
Other Places: Excellent information is available from courthouses, archives,
historical societies, and other libraries. The staff at SGHRL can assist you
to identify possible sources of information in the counties where your
ancestors lived.
From
Your Relatives: Share with your relatives the information you have found and
gather any additional information they may have. Talk to or record elderly
members several times to gather not only dates and relationships but also
anecdotal information and first-hand accounts of family history. Collaborate
with other family members to write a family history and place it in a library
where it will be preserved. The Simsbury Genealogical and Historical Research
Library welcomes donations of compiled family histories.
