Acknowledgments | p. xvii |
Introduction | p. xix |
Begin Your Family History Odyssey | |
Why Explore Your Genealogy? | p. 3 |
Start at the Beginning: Yourself and Your Family | p. 5 |
Discover Sources of Information in Your Own Home | p. 7 |
Vital Records | p. 7 |
Religious Records | p. 9 |
Personal or Family Bible | p. 10 |
Photograph Albums | p. 11 |
Scrapbooks | p. 11 |
Letters | p. 12 |
Diaries and Journals | p. 12 |
Family Histories | p. 13 |
Local Histories | p. 13 |
Baby Books | p. 13 |
Marriage Books | p. 15 |
Funeral Books and Memorial Cards | p. 15 |
Identification Documents | p. 16 |
Immigration Papers | p. 16 |
Naturalization Papers | p. 17 |
Land Records | p. 18 |
Military Records | p. 18 |
Directories | p. 18 |
Religious Publications | p. 18 |
School Records | p. 18 |
Employment Records | p. 19 |
Search for the Less-Than-Obvious Items | p. 19 |
Interview All Your Relatives | p. 20 |
Consider Several Types of Interview | p. 21 |
Schedule Interviews for Best Results | p. 22 |
Ask the Right Questions | p. 23 |
Use the Right Equipment for Your Interviews | p. 24 |
Set the Tone of the Interview | p. 24 |
Don't Forget the "Thank You" | p. 25 |
Begin to Organize What You Find | p. 25 |
Summary | p. 26 |
Create Your Family Tree | p. 27 |
Evaluate Primary vs. Secondary Sources | p. 28 |
Birth Certificates | p. 29 |
Marriage Certificates | p. 29 |
Obituaries | p. 30 |
Cemetery Markers | p. 31 |
Bible Entries | p. 33 |
Recognize and Evaluate Original vs. Derivative Sources | p. 34 |
Transcription | p. 34 |
Extract | p. 34 |
Abstract | p. 35 |
Apply Critical Thinking Skills to Your Genealogical Research | p. 36 |
Place Your Ancestors into Context | p. 37 |
Format Names, Dates, and Locations Correctly | p. 38 |
Record Names | p. 38 |
Record Dates | p. 39 |
Record Locations | p. 39 |
Work with Pedigree Charts | p. 40 |
Work with Family Group Sheets | p. 42 |
How to Handle Multiple Family Units with a Common Spouse | p. 43 |
How to Handle Non-traditional Family Units | p. 44 |
How to Handle Adopted Children | p. 44 |
Create Source Citations for Your Data | p. 44 |
Select a Family Tree Format | p. 47 |
Place Your Ancestors into Context and Locate Vital Records | p. 51 |
Place Your Ancestors into Context | p. 52 |
Become a Student of History | p. 54 |
Family Histories | p. 54 |
County and Local Histories | p. 55 |
State and Provincial Histories | p. 56 |
National and World History | p. 58 |
Use Maps to Locate the Right Place to Research | p. 59 |
Avoid Wasted Time and Energy | p. 60 |
Use Maps for Multiple Purposes | p. 61 |
Use a Methodology that Works | p. 62 |
Maps Can Equal Success | p. 68 |
Locate Birth, Marriage, and Death Records | p. 68 |
Locate the Birth Certificate | p. 70 |
Find Marriage Licenses and Certificates | p. 75 |
Research Divorce Records | p. 79 |
Locate Death Certificates | p. 79 |
Create an Ancestor Profile | p. 82 |
Start with What You Know | p. 84 |
Establish the Person's Location Throughout Their Life | p. 86 |
Add Other People to the Profile | p. 86 |
Add Historical and Social Events | p. 87 |
Add Personal Events | p. 87 |
Read, Review, and Revise the Profile | p. 88 |
Use Census Schedules and Records to Locate Your Ancestors | p. 89 |
Learn About Population Census Records | p. 90 |
Understand and Work with United States Census Records | p. 91 |
Caveats About Census Records and How to Work with Them | p. 108 |
Understand and Work with British Census Records | p. 109 |
Understand and Work with Canadian Census Records | p. 114 |
Locate Additional Information on the Censuses | p. 117 |
Further Your Research with Advanced Record Types | p. 125 |
Expand Your Family's Story | p. 126 |
Use Ecclesiastical Records | p. 126 |
Locate the Right Institution | p. 127 |
Determine What Records They Might Have Created | p. 127 |
Locate the Records Today | p. 128 |
Gain Access to the Records | p. 129 |
Interpret, Evaluate, and Place the Records into Perspective | p. 131 |
Consider a Variety of Ecclesiastical Records | p. 131 |
Obtain and Analyze Mortuary and Funeral Home Records | p. 132 |
Read Between the Lines in Obituaries | p. 134 |
Locate and Delve into Cemetery Records | p. 136 |
Search for Other Death-Related Documents | p. 141 |
Get Inside Your Ancestor's Mind Using Wills and Probate Records | p. 141 |
Understand the Meaning of a Will and Testament | p. 141 |
The Probate Process Defined | p. 145 |
Learn What a Will Can Tell You--Literally and by Implication | p. 149 |
Examine the Contents of a Probate Packet | p. 150 |
Watch for Clues and Pointers in the Probate Packet | p. 151 |
You Really Want to Examine Documents Yourself | p. 155 |
Locate and Obtain Copies of Wills and Probate Documents | p. 156 |
Obtain Information from the Social Security Administration and Railroad Retirement Board | p. 156 |
Consider Other Institutional Record Types | p. 160 |
Use Records of Military Service and Land Documents | p. 161 |
Consider Military and Property Records | p. 162 |
Expand Your Knowledge of the Military Services | p. 164 |
Investigate Military History for the Appropriate Time Period | p. 165 |
Identify Possible Sources for Military Records | p. 167 |
Locate Military Records in the United States | p. 168 |
Locate Canadian Military Records | p. 171 |
Locate Military Records in the United Kingdom | p. 173 |
Examine Samples of Military Records | p. 178 |
Enlistment and Draft Registration Records | p. 178 |
Military Muster Rolls and Pay Records | p. 180 |
Educational and Training Records | p. 180 |
Station and Duty Assignment Orders | p. 182 |
Promotions and Commissions | p. 183 |
Discharge and Separation Records | p. 185 |
Death and Burial Records | p. 191 |
Learn from Military Penion Records | p. 193 |
Understand and Use Land and Property Records | p. 195 |
Land and Property Records in the United States | p. 195 |
Learn About the Organization of State and Federal Lands | p. 196 |
Places to Locate Land and Property Records | p. 204 |
Land and Property Records in Canada | p. 206 |
Land and Property Records in the United Kingdom | p. 210 |
Place Your Ancestors into Context with Property Records | p. 213 |
Locate and Use Immigration and Naturalization Records | p. 215 |
Expand Your Family's Story | p. 216 |
Why Do People Migrate? | p. 216 |
Locate and Use Immigration and Naturalization Records | p. 218 |
Our Ancestors Came on Ships | p. 219 |
Learn About the History of Ships' Passenger Lists | p. 221 |
Use Strategies for Determining Your Ancestor's Ship | p. 235 |
Use Other Strategies for Determining Your Ancestor's Place of Origin | p. 237 |
Understand the Naturalization Process | p. 240 |
Work Immigration and Naturalization Records in Tandem | p. 248 |
Research Methods and Strategies | |
Discover Where to Locate Documents About Your Family | p. 251 |
Determine Where to Look for Different Document Types | p. 253 |
Use Indexes, Compilations, and Other Finding Aids | p. 254 |
Indexes | p. 254 |
Compilations | p. 260 |
Other Finding Aids | p. 262 |
Use Libraries and Archives | p. 262 |
Learn to Use the Library Catalog | p. 263 |
Start with What Has Already Been Done | p. 264 |
The Library of Congress Online Catalog | p. 267 |
What Is a MARC Record and Why Do I Care? | p. 268 |
Locate Online Catalogs Worldwide | p. 269 |
Use the LDS Family History Center | p. 270 |
Trace and Locate Documents That Have Been Moved | p. 271 |
Consult Reference Books | p. 272 |
Locate the Repository on the Internet | p. 273 |
Contact the Repository | p. 274 |
Seek Help from a State, Provincial, or National Library or Archive | p. 275 |
Contact Genealogical and Historical Societies at All Levels | p. 275 |
Engage a Professional Researcher | p. 276 |
Deal with Closed or Limited Access to Materials | p. 276 |
Be Prepared to Provide Proof of Your Relationship | p. 277 |
Offer to Pay All the Expenses | p. 277 |
Provide Letters of Authorization or Permission to Access | p. 278 |
Escalate Your Request | p. 278 |
Invoke the Use of the Freedom of Information Act | p. 278 |
Obtain a Court Order | p. 279 |
Order Document Copies by Snail-mail and E-mail | p. 279 |
Keep Track of Your Correspondence | p. 282 |
Use a Research Log | p. 284 |
Summary | p. 284 |
Locate Your Ancestors on the Internet | p. 285 |
Add Internet Resources to Your Research Toolkit | p. 286 |
Categorize the Three Major Categories of Internet Resources | p. 287 |
Categorize the Major Types of Genealogical Web Page Resources | p. 288 |
Understand the Concept of Internet Domain Names | p. 299 |
Learn a Little More About Web Addresses | p. 302 |
Strategies for Accessing Sites Whose Addresses May Have Changed | p. 304 |
Web Sites Whose Addresses Have Changed | p. 304 |
Discontinued Sites | p. 305 |
Structure Effective Searches to Locate Information | p. 306 |
Define the Difference Between Search Engines and Directories | p. 306 |
Visit the Best Site on the Web to Learn About Search Engines and Directories | p. 309 |
Select a "Comfortable" Search Engine and Really Get to Know It | p. 310 |
Structure Effective Searches to Locate Information | p. 312 |
Learn How to Really Use Yahoo! | p. 312 |
Use a Search Engine to Get Great Results | p. 316 |
Use Other Really Helpful Search Engines | p. 322 |
Use Message Boards to Share Information and Collaborate with Others | p. 322 |
What Is a Mailing List? | p. 323 |
What Is a Message Board? | p. 326 |
Write Effective Messages and Postings That Get Results | p. 330 |
Locate and Use Additional Resources in Your Research | p. 333 |
Online Map Resources | p. 333 |
Dictionaries | p. 335 |
Language Translation | p. 336 |
Historical and Biographical Resources | p. 337 |
Calendars | p. 337 |
People Finders and Telephone Directories | p. 338 |
Access the Resources of the "Hidden" Internet | p. 338 |
Apply the Rules of Evidence to Resources on the Internet: Primary vs. Secondary and Original vs. Derivative Sources | p. 342 |
Use All the Resources at Your Disposal in Tandem | p. 342 |
Define the Challenge | p. 342 |
Consider What Record Types Might Help Us | p. 343 |
Prepare a New, Integrated Research Plan | p. 347 |
Follow Alternative Research Paths to Locate Difficult Records | p. 349 |
Recognize When You Have a Hit a "Brick Wall" | p. 350 |
Identify the Symptoms of a Brick Wall | p. 350 |
Take a Fresh Look at Old Documentation | p. 354 |
Re-evaluate the Quality of Your Sources | p. 355 |
Widen the Scope of Your Search to Include New and Different Sources | p. 358 |
Use Photographs in Your Family Research | p. 359 |
Learn About the Types of Photographs | p. 360 |
Date Photographs Using Clothing and Hair Fashions | p. 365 |
Develop an Ancestor Profile or Timeline | p. 367 |
Start with What You Know | p. 368 |
Add Personal Events to the Profile | p. 371 |
Learn About Other People in Your Ancestor's Life | p. 371 |
Add Historical Events to Your Ancestor Profile | p. 373 |
Look at the Entire Picture--for the First Time | p. 373 |
Switch to Another Family Member to Bypass Your Roadblock | p. 374 |
Seek Help from Libraries, Archives, Museums, and Societies | p. 374 |
Engage the Help of a Professional Researcher | p. 376 |
Locate a Qualified Professional Genealogical Researcher | p. 376 |
Define the Scope of the Work to Be Performed | p. 378 |
Establish Guidelines, Goals, and Milestones | p. 379 |
Document the Relationship | p. 379 |
Conclude the Relationship | p. 380 |
Plan a Very Successful Genealogical Research Trip | p. 381 |
Work Like a Professional Researcher | p. 382 |
Determine the Scope of Your Trip | p. 382 |
Develop a Research Plan | p. 384 |
Plan Your Time Effectively | p. 388 |
Obtain Information about the Area You Will Be Visiting | p. 389 |
Make Hotel Reservations in Advance | p. 390 |
Search the Web for Libraries and Archives | p. 391 |
Search the Web for Government Offices and Departments | p. 394 |
Search Web for Genealogical and Historical Societies | p. 395 |
Contact Religious Institutions | p. 395 |
Locate the Cemeteries Where Ancestors May Be Interred | p. 396 |
Contact Schools, Colleges, and Universities | p. 396 |
Make Appointments in Advance | p. 397 |
Set Up a Schedule | p. 397 |
Take the Right Tools with You | p. 399 |
Pack the Right Clothing for the Activities | p. 400 |
Select Other Tools for Outdoor Work | p. 400 |
Choose Supplies for Recording Information | p. 401 |
Consider Taking Some Additional Tools | p. 404 |
To Rub or Not to Rub | p. 405 |
Don't Forget the Money! | p. 406 |
Cover the On-site Territory Effectively | p. 407 |
Perform a Daily Reassessment | p. 407 |
Automate Your Genealogy with Hardware, Software, and Databases | |
Select Hardware, Software, and Accessories to Aid Your Work | p. 411 |
Determine What You Will Be Doing with Your Genealogy | p. 412 |
Identify the Components of a Strong Computer System | p. 413 |
Understand What's "Inside the Box" | p. 414 |
Assess Your Communications Needs | p. 418 |
Determine Which Printer, Scanner, and Photography Equipment Is Right for You | p. 419 |
Evaluate Printer Options | p. 420 |
Consider Adding a Scanner to Your System | p. 421 |
Evaluate and Comparison Shop Digital Still and Video Camera Equipment | p. 422 |
Choose Other Software to Help Support Your Genealogical Work | p. 423 |
Anti-virus Software | p. 424 |
Word Processors | p. 426 |
Spreadsheets | p. 426 |
Web Browsers | p. 427 |
Adobe Acrobat | p. 429 |
E-mail Options | p. 430 |
Graphics Editing Software | p. 430 |
Integrate Portable and Handheld Electronic Equipment into Your Research | p. 432 |
Notebooks, Scanners, Printers, and Data Communications | p. 432 |
Global Positioning System | p. 435 |
Become Acquainted with Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) | p. 437 |
Investigate General PDA Software Options | p. 438 |
Consider Genealogical Software Programs for the PDA | p. 439 |
Explore Other Genealogy Utility Programs for Your PDA | p. 443 |
Don't Be Overwhelmed! | p. 444 |
Select and Use a Genealogical Database Program to Store Data | p. 445 |
Find a Genealogical Database Program | p. 446 |
Learn the Basics About Genealogical Database Software Programs | p. 448 |
Data Entry Capabilities | p. 449 |
Vital Records Information | p. 450 |
Support for Many Types of Facts and Events | p. 452 |
Master Sources and Source Citations | p. 452 |
Physical and Medical Data | p. 454 |
Notes | p. 454 |
Multimedia Capabilities | p. 457 |
Search and Filter Results | p. 457 |
Reporting Capabilities | p. 457 |
Import and Export of GEDCOMs and Other Files | p. 458 |
Publishing Functions | p. 459 |
Find Out What Genealogical Database Programs Are Available | p. 460 |
Ancestral Quest | p. 461 |
Brother's Keeper | p. 461 |
Family Historian | p. 461 |
Family Tree Maker | p. 462 |
HEREDIS | p. 463 |
Legacy Family Tree | p. 463 |
The Master Genealogist | p. 463 |
Personal Ancestral File | p. 464 |
Reunion | p. 464 |
RootsMagic | p. 465 |
Other Genealogy Database Software | p. 466 |
Supplemental Genealogical Programs | p. 466 |
Determine Which Features You Need | p. 467 |
Exchange GEDCOMs with Other Researchers | p. 468 |
Upload Your GEDCOM File to an Online Database | p. 470 |
Publish Your Family History in Printed Form | p. 471 |
Understand Copyright and Trademark Laws | p. 471 |
Publish Your Data on the Web | p. 472 |
Keep on Researching! | p. 472 |
Index | p. 473 |
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