Compiled Sources & Where to Find Them: Difference between revisions

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 This ‘list’ of compiled sources is a good start. Collectively, it literally represents well over a billion ancestors with already compiled data about them!
-<u>First Step <br></u>In thoroughly scouring all home sources, in closets and attics—for family history papers, copies of records, pictures, old letters, journals/dairies and memorabilia, we cannot honestly say that our search in ‘compiled sources’ is completed. It is absolutely not completed until you initiate the next vital step, on to the next standard procedure—that next phase called the preliminary search—for and in compiled sources. To some, this is the ‘ugly duckling’ aspect of the research process but nevertheless, a vital phase of doing standard (proper) due diligence. Such compiled sources to search for includes published or deposited manuscript sources on families, pedigrees, biographies, autobiographies, town and local histories, and online family genealogies.
+<u>The Standard in "Preliminary Searches" <br></u>In thoroughly scouring all home sources, in closets and attics—for family history papers, copies of records, pictures, old letters, journals/dairies and memorabilia, we cannot honestly say that our search in ‘compiled sources’ is completed. It is absolutely not completed until you initiate the next vital step, on to the next standard procedure—the&nbsp;phase called the preliminary search for and in compiled sources. To some, this is the often neglected or ‘ugly duckling’ aspect of the research process but nevertheless, a vital phase of doing standard (proper) due diligence. Such compiled sources for which to search&nbsp;includes published or deposited manuscript sources on families, pedigrees, biographies, autobiographies, town and local histories, and online family genealogies.<u></u>
-<u>Second Step</u>
+Like a research scientist before seeking an academic degree or a government-sponsored grant to fund forensic or frontier research or discovery, standards in protocol requires diligent and honest broad-spectrumed searches for and in compiled sources to determine ‘what’s already researched and thus far discovered in the chosen area of scientific research. Every researcher—beginning and scientific--must do the same, diligently! If your preliminary searches were mere ‘closet or attic or basement search’, on shelves and in boxes for family and home sources, that is but a first-step. And that’s only if you’ve sought for and searched family Bibles, pictures, diaries, journals, copies of vital records and certificates and records, interviewed extended family and close relatives’, searching their home records as well (even old neighbors--if living--can prove very helpful!), a giant step by itself—in the right direction, but too narrow in scope for what should be a comprehensive and more thorough search for other compiled sources outside the home! To smugly fold the arms, cock the head back and think, ‘That’s all I need to know; now&nbsp;start researching in original and primary record sources’—is naïve at least and, at worst, it short-circuits the comprehensive research process! Why would any true genealogist or passionate family history buff discard the standard of seeking and searching in compiled sources outside the home, by narrowly considering that no one else is “qualified” to research worth diddly? For every thousand family history compilers who may generate fuzzy genealogical ‘data’, there&nbsp;are&nbsp;also many&nbsp;very competent researchers and writers who have credibly researched and written professional-level family history compilations. It is&nbsp;especially for these latter "credible" compilations of competent researchers for which we all should seek and review.
-Like a research scientist before seeking an academic degree or a government-sponsored grant to fund forensic or frontier research or discovery, standards in protocol requires diligent and honest broad-spectrumed searches for and in compiled sources to determine ‘what’s already researched and thus far discovered in the chosen area of scientific research. Every researcher—beginning and scientific--must do the same, diligently! If your preliminary searches were mere ‘closet or attic or basement search’, on shelves and in boxes for family and home sources, that is but a first-step. And that’s only if you’ve sought for and searched family Bibles, pictures, diaries, journals, copies of vital records and certificates and records, interviewed extended family and close relatives’, searching their home records as well (even old neighbors--if living--can prove very helpful!), a giant step by itself—in the right direction, but too narrow in scope for what should be a comprehensive and more thorough search for other compiled sources outside the home! To smugly fold the arms, cock the head back and think, ‘That’s all I need to know; now let’s start researching in original and primary record sources’—is naïve at least and, at worst, it short-circuits the comprehensive research process! Why would any true genealogist or passionate family history buff discard the standard of seeking and searching in compiled sources outside the home, by narrowly considering that no one is “qualified” to research worth a pan ‘o gold? For every thousand family history compilers who generate fuzzy genealogical ‘data’, I’ll show you fifty or more very competent researchers and writers who have credibly researched and written professional-level family history compilations.
 The ‘Second step’ researchers should&nbsp;employ in the research process—is also the most overlooked part of the research process and not always considered standard procedure.
 <u>The List of Compiled Sources</u>
 Here’s a list of online resources and&nbsp;repositories on where to find published and manuscript (compiled) sources on family surnames and lineages:<br>1. Online family genealogy sites, pedigrees, history sites:
  World catalog at http://worldcat.org/. In the '''Subject'' field enter the surname and “family” like this, ''Prescott Family''. This searches the catalogs and displays the results from thousands of especially U.S. libraries at once with the name of each archive or library holding the book or manuscript. If a family history publication is found, you can usually order it through the Inter-Library loan&nbsp;service
  ''Periodical Source Index (PERSI)'' at [http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/persi/search/people ''People Search''] allows searches for a family name in over a million article titles in genealogical periodicals. If the Article “Results List” is too long, redo the search but in the ''Keyword'' field add the two-letter postal abbreviation for the state where they lived.<br> Google books at [http://books.google.com http://books.google.com] -&nbsp; type in the surname and another key word such as the locality, i.e. town, or county or state/province <br> Internet Archive at http://www.internetarchives.org<br> Genforum www.genforum.com – has 170 million names; quarter of million a week<br> Ancestry com www.ancestry.com – has some of the&nbsp;largest databases of compiled data on families<br> USGenweb.org or Canadagenweb.org&nbsp;or BritishIslesgenweb.org–numerous aids &amp; databases online by state &amp; county<br> Genealogy.com (FamilyFinder) - has enormous database for families <br> Roots Surname Lists at http://rsl.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ <br> MyTrees at Kindredkonnections.com - a fabulous site for surnames<br> MyHeritage.com – has over 353 million names worldwide<br> GenesReunited.com - largest UK site with over 650 million UK names<br> Onegreatfamily.com - has over 130 million names worldwide<br> BYU’s Family History Archive at http://www.lib.byu.edu/fhc/index.php has scanned&nbsp;several of thousands of free, published family histories all scanned, imaged and online<br> FamilySearch at www.familysearch.org (follow prompt to catalog; do a “Surname” search. This searches the world’s largest genealogical library for published works for any family surname as a main subject. <br> Family History Library “Favorites” links may be viewed at www.fhlfavorites.com – see “England”; “General”; “Book search” or “England”; “General”&nbsp;;”Genealogy”<br> Guild of One Name Studies or www.one-name.org – with nearly 8,000 UK surnames registered<br> New Eng. Hist. &amp; Gen. Soc http://www.newenglandancestors.org/ -.<br> Allen Co. Indiana Public Library at http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/eresources.html <br> Google on 1) family “surname”, 2) “family history” or “genealogy” and 3) “town” or “city” name<br> www.rootuk.org