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Beginning African American Research: Difference between revisions
Beginning African American Research (view source)
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1. What the end product of good genealogical research will be. | 1. What the end product of good genealogical research will be. | ||
:A. Well-documented family group records reaching back in time as far as possible. | :A. Well-documented family group records reaching back in time as far as possible. | ||
:B. Research logs documenting the research process used to compile the family groups. | :B. Research logs documenting the research process used to compile the family groups. | ||
:C. Sharing your genealogy is one of the best ways to find ancestors. | :C. Sharing your genealogy is one of the best ways to find ancestors. | ||
2. Expect to find ancestors names spelled in unexpected (wrong) ways. Guess variations. 3. How to guess where to start research. '''The more you know, the better you can guess.''' | 2. Expect to find ancestors names spelled in unexpected (wrong) ways. Guess variations. 3. How to guess where to start research. '''The more you know, the better you can guess.''' | ||
:A. How to guess places—use the other places as a guide. | :A. How to guess places—use the other places as a guide. | ||
:B. How to guess dates | :B. How to guess dates | ||
::1. Births: oldest child 1 year after parent's marriage, 2 years space between children | ::1. Births: oldest child 1 year after parent's marriage, 2 years space between children | ||
::2. Marriages: 1 yr before 1st child, 25 yrs after groom's birth, 21 yrs after bride's birth | ::2. Marriages: 1 yr before 1st child, 25 yrs after groom's birth, 21 yrs after bride's birth | ||
::3. Deaths: about the same age as siblings | ::3. Deaths: about the same age as siblings | ||
:C. Look for one event at a time in one person’s life. | :C. Look for one event at a time in one person’s life. | ||
:D. Work from the easiest-to-document event to the hardest-to-document event on a family group record. The easiest to document is the most recent event that is on the family group with a specific date, place, and source cited. Consider what is exact, partial, or missing. The hardest to document is the earliest possible event not mentioned on the family group and lacking a full date, place, or source citation (all of which you will have to guess). | :D. Work from the easiest-to-document event to the hardest-to-document event on a family group record. The easiest to document is the most recent event that is on the family group with a specific date, place, and source cited. Consider what is exact, partial, or missing. The hardest to document is the earliest possible event not mentioned on the family group and lacking a full date, place, or source citation (all of which you will have to guess). | ||
4. Thoroughly search a full nuclear family in community context one event-person at a time | 4. Thoroughly search a full nuclear family in community context one event-person at a time | ||
:A. Extract full information on people in the area with the same surname. | :A. Extract full information on people in the area with the same surname. | ||
:B. Extract full info on people by another surname living in same household. | :B. Extract full info on people by another surname living in same household. | ||
:C. Identify census neighbors, at least 12 before/after. Note who owned land. | :C. Identify census neighbors, at least 12 before/after. Note who owned land. | ||
:D. If near a state or county line, study people with the same surname in nearby areas. | :D. If near a state or county line, study people with the same surname in nearby areas. | ||
:E. Comb the neighborhood for families with similar naming patterns, origins, or occupations. | :E. Comb the neighborhood for families with similar naming patterns, origins, or occupations. | ||
5. What to do when you don't find it (the event-person sought) on the first search. | 5. What to do when you don't find it (the event-person sought) on the first search. | ||
:A. Write "nil" on your research log. | :A. Write "nil" on your research log. | ||
:B. Keep the same event-person as a research goal and try switching one of the following: | :B. Keep the same event-person as a research goal and try switching one of the following: | ||
::1. Switch spelling of the name (or skipping the index and looking page by page) | ::1. Switch spelling of the name (or skipping the index and looking page by page) | ||
::2. Switch record (different edition or different author) - Switch record type (use a Record Selection Table to find substitutes) - Switch jurisdiction (up, down, or sideways) - Switch repository - Switch to kin and associates | ::2. Switch record (different edition or different author) - Switch record type (use a Record Selection Table to find substitutes) - Switch jurisdiction (up, down, or sideways) - Switch repository - Switch to kin and associates | ||
6. What to do when you do find it. Organize and document AS YOU GO! | 6. What to do when you do find it. Organize and document AS YOU GO! | ||
A. Photocopy the new source document. | :A. Photocopy the new source document. | ||
B. Identify the source (footnote information) on the front of the photocopy. | :B. Identify the source (footnote information) on the front of the photocopy. | ||
C. Write your own document filing number on the back of each photocopy. | :C. Write your own document filing number on the back of each photocopy. | ||
D. Log the new document number, and summarize the events/people you found on all appropriate logs. | :D. Log the new document number, and summarize the events/people you found on all appropriate logs. | ||
E. Transfer new family data from the source to appropriate family group records. (sometimes need to add a custom event in PAF). | :E. Transfer new family data from the source to appropriate family group records. (sometimes need to add a custom event in PAF). | ||
F. Enter new source footnotes for every piece of data on a source, even if that event already has a note. | :F. Enter new source footnotes for every piece of data on a source, even if that event already has a note. | ||
G. Add a preliminary assessment of the data and its reliability to the end of each source footnote. | :G. Add a preliminary assessment of the data and its reliability to the end of each source footnote. | ||
H. Print the updated family group record. | :H. Print the updated family group record. | ||
I. File the new family group and photocopy. | :I. File the new family group and photocopy. | ||
7. How to get a good education about genealogical research. | 7. How to get a good education about genealogical research. | ||
A. The FamilySearch community is great! Wiki - https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/African_American_Research#Key_Internet_Links - Category:Beginners https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Category:Beginners B. Other reading, classes, travel to ancestral homes. | :A. The FamilySearch community is great! Wiki - https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/African_American_Research#Key_Internet_Links - Category:Beginners https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Category:Beginners | ||
:B. Other reading, classes, travel to ancestral homes. | |||
==== Homework ==== | |||
1. Contact your oldest living relatives and ask them for information and to see old family papers. | 1. Contact your oldest living relatives and ask them for information and to see old family papers. | ||
2. Transfer information about your family to well-documented family group records using as a guide the Wiki article Family group record: roadmap for researchers at wiki.familysearch.org/en/Family_group_record:_roadmap_for_researchers | 2. Transfer information about your family to well-documented family group records using as a guide the Wiki article Family group record: roadmap for researchers at wiki.familysearch.org/en/Family_group_record:_roadmap_for_researchers | ||