New to Genealogy - Beginners First Step: Difference between revisions

[[Image:FirstStep.jpg|right|300px|FirstStep.jpg]]The very first step when getting involved with a genealogy project can be the hardest. As depicted in the diagram it can be a balancing act where you could either end up flat on your face or be off to a good start.&nbsp; This first baby-step is to actually&nbsp; decide if you are willing to expend the time, energy, and resources needed to achieve your goals.&nbsp; The time spent and the costs involved could potentially get out of hand but by setting your goals correctly they are much easier to keep under control.&nbsp; To get ready for that first step start out slowly by doing a little crawling first.&nbsp; Since you are the one that sets those goals you first need to know what some of the objectives are that you could create for yourself.&nbsp; Do not set yourself up to fail.&nbsp; It is better to start off with smaller goals which you can change over time rather than to be going at full speed when you hit your first brick wall (it happens to everyone).&nbsp; The resulting decisions after your first setback could be that this was a stupid idea and may lead to you quiting altogether or you could end up overwhelmed by tons of data and end up burning out prematurely.&nbsp; To survive long term, you just have to keep everything in the correct&nbsp; perspective. There are only two critical items (which are described below) that you should address as soon as possible, after that you can take all the time in the world to set your objectives and readjust your goals as necessary.<br>  

[[Image:Wooden hourglass 3.jpg|right|60px|Wooden hourglass 3.jpg]]Just ask questions before it’s too late (before the information is forgotten or your ancestors are no longer accessible).&nbsp; Who are all those people in the old photographs?&nbsp; What was it like when you were a kid? How did you meet your spouse?&nbsp; Did you have a dog when you were little?&nbsp; Always remember that there are no stupid questions if there are answers to those [[Creating A Personal History|'''questions''']] but you have to ask those questions before time runs out.<br>  

[[Image:Html7.jpg|left|100px|Html7.jpg]]  

===== '''Collecting/storing documents and photos for the future.''' =====

<div style="width:200px; height:200px; float:right; margin:10px; background-color:#f4e8c9; box-shadow:10px 10px 5px #808080; position:relative;"><div style="position:relative"><div style="position:absolute; left:5px; top:5px; z-index:2">[[Image:Naturalization.jpg|120px|Naturalization.jpg]]</div>  

<div style="position:absolute; left:75px; top:45px; z-index:1">[[Image:Covered wagon at Scott's Bluff, Nebraska.png|120px|Covered_wagon_at_Scott's_Bluff,_Nebraska.png]]</div>  

<div style="position:absolute; left:10px; top:120px; z-index:3">[[Image:Ellis island 1902.jpg|100px|Ellis island 1902.jpg]]</div>  

<div style="position:absolute; left:90px; top:65px; z-index:6">[[Image:Wilford Woodruff portrait.jpg|65px|Wilford_Woodruff_portrait.jpg]]</div>  

<div style="position:absolute; left:68px; top:15px; z-index:4">[[Image:696px-Hagerstown Public Square c1900.jpg|120px|696px-Hagerstown_Public_Square_c1900.jpg]]</div>  

<div style="position:absolute; left:40px; top:33px; z-index:5">[[Image:Maryland Probate and Estate Files 004103610 00007.jpg|65px|Maryland_Probate_and_Estate_Files_004103610_00007.jpg]]</div>  

===== '''Build a small network of family and distant cousins to collaborate with.''' =====

[[Image:Emperor penguins.jpg|right|200px|Emperor penguins.jpg]]Discuss your interest in genealogy with your family and build a small network of collaborators within your [[Involve Your Extended Family in Family History|'''extended family'''.]] This will also help you to weather any rough patches that you encounter as the unavoidable setbacks will not seem so severe if you can discuss them with others.&nbsp; And who knows, a collaborative effort from many individuals may solve the problems you have encountered.  

[[Image:FileStack retouched.jpg|right|200px|FileStack retouched.jpg]]Too much data can quickly become overwhelming so at some point a better [[Organizing Your Files|'''filing system''']] will become necessary.&nbsp; The best approach is to document and organize as you are collecting the data because chances are you will get behind and never catch up, so document [[Document AS YOU GO!|'''as you go''']].  

*[[Image:Once upon a time.jpg|right|300px|Once upon a time.jpg]]Start out with '''Once upon a time '''and tell where they were born, what is was like for them growing up, how they met their spouse, how their family started to grow, and how they spent their golden years.&nbsp; If your subject asks the question: "Are you making a book out of me?", your answer could be, Yes, someday.&nbsp;&nbsp; Hopefully you can end your story with '''happily ever after'''.<br>

[[Image:CreateWebsite.jpg|right|300px|CreateWebsite.jpg]]Create a [[Create a genealogy web page|'''webpage''']] or [[Blogs|'''blog''']] so family members can access it to see your progress.&nbsp; Ask others to contribute more photos and documents as well as assistance if they are willing to do so.  

*[[Image:Lab Pups.jpg|right|150px|Lab Pups.jpg]]Set your goals a little higher if desired, take a break and reflect on what you have accomplished, or you may want to jump right into another story about another one of your relatives.<br>

===== '''How do I keep myself (and others) from burning out?''' =====

[[Image:Brick Wall.jpg|right|200px|Brick Wall.jpg]]When you hit the inevitable [[Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls|'''brick wall''']], take a step back to double check your research or redirect your goals to other family lines. That wall may never go away but as new information becomes available on-line that wall could just as easily disappear.&nbsp; When searching other family lines of your "cousins" (not in your direct lineage) clues have been known to appear which would take you around or over that brick wall. One thing to keep in mind is that your goal of documenting your family history will actually and ultimately be a great benefit for future generations (your kid's kids) so don't get discouraged by a little [[Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls|'''brick wall''']].  

===== '''Searching for more (what information is missing?).''' =====

[[Image:Thumb DetectiveSilhoette.png|left|100px|Thumb DetectiveSilhoette.png]]You can utilize this Research Wiki for finding additional information to assist you in the learning process but its primary function is to identify the location of records and to provide the knowledge base on how to access and use those records. State and county information is available for the United States as well as many other countries.&nbsp; Please note that It is not required to have an active account with FamilySearch to browse this wiki but you must be signed in inorder to create or edit any of the articles.<br>  

[[Image:Treasure-map1.jpg|right|250px|Treasure-map1.jpg]]If you are interested in proceeding or are still curious about what is next, then there are several articles at this site that will walk you through the process.&nbsp; This FamilySearch Research Wiki will guide you through all the steps to assist you in achieving your goals.<br>