73,385
edits
Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls: Difference between revisions
Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls (view source)
Revision as of 15:26, 28 January 2008
, 28 January 2008no edit summary
mNo edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 54: | Line 54: | ||
4. '''''Look for alternate spellings and nicknames.''''' Some ancestors are listed by nicknames (Polly for Mary, Bob for Robert), by a middle name, or by initials. Also search for alternate spellings. Clerks misspell names all the time, and indexers have difficulty reading them. Think phonetically. For lists of possible spelling substitutes see pages 331 and 336 of Kory L. Meyerink, ed., [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=719674&disp=Printed+sources&columns=*,0,0 ''Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records'']. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998). [FHL book 016.9293 P96m]. Failure to find a some quirky versions of the individual's name is a red flag that you probably are not being imaginative enough during your searches. | 4. '''''Look for alternate spellings and nicknames.''''' Some ancestors are listed by nicknames (Polly for Mary, Bob for Robert), by a middle name, or by initials. Also search for alternate spellings. Clerks misspell names all the time, and indexers have difficulty reading them. Think phonetically. For lists of possible spelling substitutes see pages 331 and 336 of Kory L. Meyerink, ed., [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=719674&disp=Printed+sources&columns=*,0,0 ''Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records'']. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998). [FHL book 016.9293 P96m]. Failure to find a some quirky versions of the individual's name is a red flag that you probably are not being imaginative enough during your searches. | ||
5. '''''Do not trust indexes | 5. '''''Do not trust indexes'''''(that do not answer the main question).'' If he should be in the index but is not, search the record page-by-page until you find him. Even if you do find him in the index, thumb through the records for places they missed him in the index until you answer the research question.<sup>8</sup> | ||
6. '''''Do not trust copies selected by someone else.''''' If possible, look at the original with your own eyes. | 6. '''''Do not trust copies selected by someone else.''''' If possible, look at the original with your own eyes. | ||