Family history research plan
Perhaps you want to learn more about your great-grandmother. Here are a few tips that will help you create a solid research plan:
1. Take some time and write down everything you can think of about the people you plan to research. Include as much detail as possible like spouse's and children's names, place of birth, and the approximate dates of birth, marriage, and death.
2. Write down what you hope to find out about the person you're researching. It's very easy to get sidetracked once you begin your family history research. It can be very exciting to uncover facts you never new about your family and this can cause you to lose sight of your initial goals in tracing your family tree. This is why it's important to write down your goals in your basic research plan. For instance, your goal might be to uncover the truth about a story that's been passed from generation to another about your ancestors or to learn more about one side of your family.
3. Begin searching with a genealogically focused search engine to get a clear idea of what might be available. Sites like Ancestry.com are great for hunting information about your great-grandmother. Enter her name and where she lived to narrow down the search results. The data returned will give you a pretty good idea of the range of resources that are available.
4. Prioritize the resources that you want to use. These genealogy sites often turn up a variety of resources like one-name study sites, mailing lists, and newsgroups. It's a good idea to prioritize the resources you are planning to use. A great starting point is to visit a website that provides access to civil registration documents such as Ancestry.com so you can start trying to verify dates of birth, marriage and death.
5. Once you've identified the resources you want to use, schedule time to use them. Researching family history is a lifelong venture. You can't download every bit of information and documentation that you need all at once. Researching your family's history requires a great deal of effort and time so it's best to schedule times that you will work on specific parts of your plan. Because genealogy can be very addictive, its' best to break every thing down in your research plan so you don't yet sidetracked or bogged down by interesting information.
There are a wide variety of websites online that make it possible to build your family tree at no cost. I have checked out many of these sites and recommend Mundia.com. As you make progress with your research, be sure to keep good notes and share information with your relatives.
