Iowa Research Tips and Strategies

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Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page

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

Iowa Research Strategies[edit | edit source]

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

Finding Iowa Birth, Marriage or Death Records[edit | edit source]

Finding Iowa Records[edit | edit source]

Iowa Statewide Databases[edit | edit source]

Iowa Research Process[edit | edit source]

Iowa Research Tips[edit | edit source]

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

Birth and Death information:

  • Statewide registration: The state began registering births and deaths in July 1, 1880, with full compliance by 1924.
  • County regististration: Only a few county clerks recorded births and deaths before the state required registration in 1880.
  • Access to records: See Iowa Vital Records for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Iowa.


Substitute Records:

  • 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 Iowa Substitute Records for more information.


Finding Parents:

  • Death records: Death records created by the state starting in 1880 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 Iowa Newspapers and Iowa Obituaries for more information.
  • Church records: Knowing the denominiation of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See Iowa Church Records for more information.


Census Records:

  • Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See Iowa 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 Iowa Research[edit | edit source]

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