Strengthening your genealogy skills doesn’t have to be difficult or tiresome. Small tasks can be worked into your daily routine to make your research more organized, more accurate, and better sourced.
Set Up a Research Log
This important first step will prevent you from repeating research throughout the month and help you track your progress.
Sync Your Desktop Software with an Online Family Tree
Some software offers direct syncing compatibility with Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. If your services aren’t compatible, save your family tree as a GEDCOM file on your desktop software, then import it into an online family tree (or vice versa).
Break Down a Research Problem
You can tackle even the scariest, most enigmatic research question by breaking it into small, achievable goals. Take one thorny genealogy problem and break it into three to five specific, achievable goals.
Record All Variations of an Ancestral Surname
Our ancestors didn’t prize consistent spelling as much as we do today. Based on phonetics, list how your ancestor’s name may have been misspelled (and misheard). This will help widen your search if you’re struggling to find your ancestors in online records databases.
Summarize Your Ancestor’s Life
Write a paragraph that includes everything you know about an ancestor. Start with the person’s birth and include details more difficult to add to a family tree, such as occupation, family stories, or personality traits.
Creating a Timeline for an Ancestor
Make a plot of your ancestor’s life. Are there significant gaps? What years or major life events are not reflected in it? This will help you identify areas of his life that you still need to research.
Trace Your Ancestor in Each Federal US Census During His Lifetime
US censuses are some of the few records to have been taken at regular intervals. Use this to your advantage to track your ancestors from birth to death.
Discover State and Territory Censuses
Discover state and territory censuses US federal censuses are great, but they were only taken every 10 years and may have been lost in fire or flood. Fill in the gaps of federal censuses with information from state- or territory-level enumerations.
Study One of Your Ancestor’s Siblings
Though not your direct-line relatives, your ancestor’s siblings had useful genealogical traits in common with your ancestor: names, hometowns, birth parents, and more. Identify a sibling of interest, then learn all you can about him or her.
Find Your Ancestor in Each City Directory Published in His Lifetime
City directories can help you better understand your ancestor’s community and indicate where and with whom your ancestor worked.
There will be more tips coming next week!
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