GenTip 16

Genealogy tip 16—Use multiple sources to correlate ancestor information.

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 16: Use Multiple Sources to Correlate Information.

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 16: Use Multiple Sources to Correlate Ancestry Information

Never take anything at face value. Finding your ancestor’s name does not guarantee to find the correct ancestor. Remember that nothing is genuinely fact until you can back it up using more than one resource. When searching multiple sources, I have found the records I need in the exact location or area in which my ancestor lived. Always ask yourself, what records were created in this location when my ancestor lived here?

Learn what resources contain the needed data to further your research (or to document data) and where they are available such as in societies (genealogy and historical) and libraries (public, college, private, and governmental). Census, birth, marriage, divorce, death, probate, land, school, military, fraternal, and obituaries are all records that can contain similar data—names, dates, places, family structure, and names of family members. Some might be easily found and available, and others might require travel costs or other fees. Start with the closest and most economically available records.

Searching multiple resources often reveals family relationships and personal information that, when viewed collectively, provide a complete picture of the family and its members. For example, when I go to cemeteries, I always take a camera and a tape or digital recorder. I have often found places where there are graves of children who may have only lived a few days or months and were never listed in census records, or perhaps other family members did not know of or forgot about. Sometimes the child will be buried by parents but not listed in family records, and visiting the cemeteries is the only way you would know of their existence.

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