Alaska Research Tips and Strategies

Alaska Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

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Alaska

Research Tips and Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page The Alaska Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Alaska. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Alaska Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Alaska:

Finding Alaska Birth, Marriage or Death Records

• Finding Alaska Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research

Finding Alaska Records

• Alaska Record Finder

Alaska Statewide Databases

• Alaska Online Genealogy Records

Alaska Research Process

• Step-by-Step Alaska Research, 1880-Present
• Step-by-Step Alaska Research, 1850-1910
• Alaska Descendancy Research
• How to find Alaska Birth Records
• How to find Alaska Marriage Records
• How to find Alaska Death Records
• Alaska Genealogy Resource Guide at Alaska State Library

Alaska Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Alaska:

Birth and Death information:

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• Statewide registration: Territorial registration of births and deaths began in 1913 and was generally complied with by 1945
• Access to records: See Alaska Vital Records for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Alaska.

Substitute Records:

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• Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
• Accuracy: Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
• List of substitute records: See Alaska Substitute Records for more information.

Finding Parents:

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• Death records: Death records created by the state starting in 1913 may contain parents of the deceased. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
• Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See Alaska Newspapers and Alaska Obituaries for more information.
• Church records: Knowing the denominiation of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See Alaska Church Records for more information.

Census Records:

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• Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See Alaska Census Records for more information.
• Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
• Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

Further Alaska Research

• Alaska Family History Library Research Outline
• AKGenWeb Alaska GenWeb Project
• Alaska Genealogy Trails - State of Alaska Records Guide
• Cyndi's List - Alaska genealogy websites
• Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness - State of Alaska Records Guide