Introduction

Step 1
What You Know

Step 2
Interview and Gather

Step 3
Examine Documents

Step 4
Create an Organizational Plan

Step 5
Arm Yourself

Step 6
Ready to Reach Out

Step 7
The Journey Begins

Step 8
Genealogy Sources

Step 10
Your Ancestors Await You

Step 3 - Examine Documents

Your goal in this step is to continue filling in the missing information on the Ancestor Chart you started in Step 1. Many of the answers you are looking for can be found in the Home Sources you collected in Step 2. Read the documents and make notes of pertinent genealogical data. Transcribe the interviews you conducted. Share these transcriptions with each interviewee to ensure accuracy. Using the documents and information at hand, continue filling in the empty spaces on your Ancestor Chart.

Sound genealogical research habits include proving the relationships between and within generations. In doing so, you will gather vital records, such as birth certificates, marriage records, death certificates, and other official documents created at these particular events in your ancestors' lives. As an example, to prove that you are a child of your parents, you will want to examine your birth certificate. That document, issued by the state in which you were born and often with an official stamp or seal, proves parentage and will be used as a source. In the same manner, your father's birth certificate will prove his lineage to his parents.

Documenting Sources

A brief mention must be made at this point about source citations. A source citation tells you what you looked at, where you found it, and where it can be found if you or another researcher want to look at it again.

As you are going through the papers and other information gathered in steps 1 and 2, be sure to note on each its source information, or source citation. Many a researcher have papers in their genealogy files with valuable information but with no hint as to where that information came from. Genealogists document and cite sources for every piece or tidbit of information they uncover about their ancestors.

Begin citing your sources now. It will be second nature to you as you continue on your journey, and you may avoid those phantom records that reside in many genealogists' files. Two of the best resources for learning to cite sources are books written by Elizabeth Shown Mills: Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian and Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace.

Entering Dates

Following a standard format for dates will prevent confusion later. Typically, genealogists use the European format of writing dates: day - month - year. To further prevent confusion, the following standards should be followed:

1. Enter the day in numerical format.
2. The month is spelled out in full, no abbreviations, and the numeric equivalent for the month is never used.
3. The year is entered as a four-digit numeric.

     Examples:

Correct date format: 12 September 1746

 

Incorrect format: 12/9/1746

A question arises whether the date is December 9, or 12 September.

 

Incorrect format: 12 September 46

While the day and month are entered correctly, truncating the year to two digits leaves the question: Which century? This date could be 1946, 1846, 1746 ... you get the idea. Never leave digits out of the year when entering dates.

Geographic Locations

Genealogists identify geographic locations by including all information about that location: city or town, township, county, state, country. Each is separated by a comma, and spelled out in full. No abbreviations here for the words township or county, and the state is spelled out rather than using the two-alpha postal code.

CA could be California, or the country abbreviation for Canada

CO could be an abbreviation for the word county or the state Colorado

Always include the country name. Southampton could refer to a town on Long Island, New York, or a parish in England.

 

Continue with Step 4 - Create an Organizational Plan