GenTip 17

Genealogy tip 17—Every record has value in Ancestry Research.

Being a history researcher comes with the need to learn and understand how to research records, find the key information and develop a plan that will take you to all available information.  Through the years, I have had the pleasure of conducting historical and genealogy research throughout the United States and Europe. Every time I conduct research in a new location, I feel like I have to learn/relearn how to conduct historical research.  Why? I need to learn where the records are kept, what is available, develop a plan of how to research this location and so much more. I have written a series of Genealogy Tips to introduce you to what I consider to be the most foundational skills I use over and over. In this article, I want to share Genealogy Tip 17: Every Record Has Value.

Genealogy Tip Series

Click on an of the following Genealogy Tips to be taken to the article.

Genealogy Tip Series for History and Genealogy Research
1. Focus on One Ancestor at A Time 15. Obtain and Search the Record
2. Prayer is an Essential Tool 16. Use Multiple Sources to Correlate Information
3. Nine Ways to Stay Focused in History and Genealogy 17. Every Record Has Value
4. Build An Identity Profile About Ancestors 18. Use and Record What You Learn
5. Set Realistic Goals for History and Genealogy 19. Detailed and Exhaustive Research
6. Follow Every Clue in History And Genealogy 20. Cite and Verify Ancestry Research
7. Remember the Power of One 21. US Census, Vital Records, and Other Records
8. Five-step Process to Discover Your Ancestors 22. Events Create Records
9. Research with Fresh Eyes 23. Search in County and Date Records
10. Genealogy Requires Preparation 24. Start Ancestry Research at Home
11. Expect the Unexpected in Genealogy Research 25. Start Organized and Stay Organized
12. Learning Begins with A Research Question 26. Strategy for Searching Societies and Libraries
13. Learn and Use the Genealogical Proof Standard 27. Genealogy and Social Networking Sites
14. Conduct Evidence Analysis 28. 16 Forms to Gather, Manage and Guide Your Research

Genealogy Tip 17: Every Record Has Value

Once you have had a chance to discover and organize records you have found at home, you are now ready to expand your search. Be prepared to conduct an exhaustive search and look for reliable sources. Make it a practice to track each key piece of information back to its source. Be prepared to search photocopied documents, digital images, and handwritten. Documents will be complete or partial transcripts, condensed abstracts, or partial abstracts.

Events create records. The most important concept I learned about searching for records is to think of events, not records. Rather than searching only for birth or death certificates, ask yourself what other types of records the event would generate in the period the event took place.

For example, in the case of my birth, there was an announcement in the paper, a baby shower, a baby book, a birth certificate, a record of my Church blessing, hospital records, and, later, a one-year-old picture in the local paper.

In the case of my mother’s death, there were cemetery and sexton records, a funeral book, funeral home records, hospital records, memorial cards, an obituary, a video of the funeral services, and her will.

The following important concept I learned was to search the records of siblings. Think about the families. When I have not been able to find any information in my family’s vital (birth, marriage, divorce, death) records, I have usually been able to find the information clues needed in the vital records of the siblings of the ancestor am researching.

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