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Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls (view source)
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== '''Attitude and Solving Common Causes of Problems''' == | == '''Attitude and Solving Common Causes of Problems''' == | ||
Your attitude about tough family history research problems has a big impact on your chances of success. Whether you think you can, or whether you think you cannot—you are right! Develop a relentless “track-‘em-down” attitude pursuing and analyzing all sources.<ref name="one">Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Genealogical Mindset &amp; Principles of Scholarship" (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology &amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 13 June 2005).</ref> Never give up on the problem, and never give up searching for new ideas and ways of researching the problem. Hunt down the answers no matter what it takes. | Your attitude about tough family history research problems has a big impact on your chances of success. Whether you think you can, or whether you think you cannot—you are right! Develop a relentless “track-‘em-down” attitude pursuing and analyzing all sources.<ref name="one">Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Genealogical Mindset &amp;amp; Principles of Scholarship" (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology &amp;amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 13 June 2005).</ref> Never give up on the problem, and never give up searching for new ideas and ways of researching the problem. Hunt down the answers no matter what it takes. | ||
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| valign="middle" | 2. Poor research logs. | | valign="middle" | 2. Poor research logs. | ||
| valign="middle" | Partially fill out logs BEFORE looking at each source. This includes each search’s goal (person and event you seek to document).<ref>G. David Dilts, "Research Logs: The Most Important Tool for Organizing Your Family History," [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2250993&referer=brief_results ''Genealogical Journal''] 30 (2002): 10-11. [FHL Book 973 D25gj v. 30 2002].</ref> | | valign="middle" | Partially fill out logs BEFORE looking at each source. This includes each search’s goal (person and event you seek to document).<ref>G. David Dilts, "Research Logs: The Most Important Tool for Organizing Your Family History," [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2250993&amp;referer=brief_results ''Genealogical Journal''] 30 (2002): 10-11. [FHL Book 973 D25gj v. 30 2002].</ref> | ||
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| valign="middle" | 3. Inadequate research documentation. | | valign="middle" | 3. Inadequate research documentation. | ||
| valign="middle" | Document and organize AS YOU GO.<ref>Carol Harless, et. al., [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/82725149&referer=brief_results ''PAF Documentation Guidelines''] (N.p.: Silicon Valley PAF Users Group, 1993), 1 [FHL Book 005.3 H224].</ref> | | valign="middle" | Document and organize AS YOU GO.<ref>Carol Harless, et. al., [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/82725149&amp;referer=brief_results ''PAF Documentation Guidelines''] (N.p.: Silicon Valley PAF Users Group, 1993), 1 [FHL Book 005.3 H224].</ref> | ||
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| valign="middle" | 4. Stagnant thinking on the problem. | | valign="middle" | 4. Stagnant thinking on the problem. | ||
| valign="middle" | Correlate what you have found. Use new forms to pull out new patterns and force your brain to try something different.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Dissecting the Research Problem” (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology &amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 17 June 2005).</ref> | | valign="middle" | Correlate what you have found. Use new forms to pull out new patterns and force your brain to try something different.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Dissecting the Research Problem” (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology &amp;amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 17 June 2005).</ref> | ||
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| valign="middle" | 5. Failure to put an ancestor in community context.<ref>Mills, “Genealogical Mindset &amp; Principles of Scholarship.”</ref><br> | | valign="middle" | 5. Failure to put an ancestor in community context.<ref>Mills, “Genealogical Mindset &amp;amp; Principles of Scholarship.”</ref><br> | ||
| valign="middle" | Trap the answer to the question in a web of associates and neighbors on both sides of the county boundary line.<ref>Mills, “Dissecting the Research Problem.”</ref> | | valign="middle" | Trap the answer to the question in a web of associates and neighbors on both sides of the county boundary line.<ref>Mills, “Dissecting the Research Problem.”</ref> | ||
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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''''' ''(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.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Land Records" (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology &amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 15 June 2005).</ref> | 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.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Land Records" (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology &amp;amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 15 June 2005).</ref> | ||
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. | ||
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17. '''''Be thorough.''''' Be prepared to search ALL the records of your ancestor, ALL his kin and associates, during ALL periods of their lives, in ALL the jurisdictions where they lived, and ALL possible repositories. For example, use all types of census schedules including local copies where they exist. Analyze all the tax records, land and property records, mortgages, each and every variety of estate probate papers. Study surrounding entries looking for neighbors and associates. Find every document available.<ref>Mills, “Dissecting the Research Problem.”</ref> Think about and watch for associated papers created at the same time as the ones you have already found. | 17. '''''Be thorough.''''' Be prepared to search ALL the records of your ancestor, ALL his kin and associates, during ALL periods of their lives, in ALL the jurisdictions where they lived, and ALL possible repositories. For example, use all types of census schedules including local copies where they exist. Analyze all the tax records, land and property records, mortgages, each and every variety of estate probate papers. Study surrounding entries looking for neighbors and associates. Find every document available.<ref>Mills, “Dissecting the Research Problem.”</ref> Think about and watch for associated papers created at the same time as the ones you have already found. | ||
18. '''''Substitute record types.''''' Stay focused on one question, but change the record type you search to find the answer. See | 18. '''''Substitute record types.''''' Stay focused on one question, but change the record type you search to find the answer. See [[United States Record Selection Table]] to identify alternative record types you could use to find answers to your genealogical question. | ||
19. '''''Use Wiki articles as a checklist.''''' State and national articles describe record types useful for those places. Search EVERY record type. | 19. '''''Use Wiki articles as a checklist.''''' State and national articles describe record types useful for those places. Search EVERY record type. NOTE: All of the information from the original research outlines has been imported and is being updated by the genealogical community. | ||
20. '''''Switch jurisdictions.''''' If the answer you want isn’t found in county records, then search at the town, state, and national levels for similar records. Write or search catalogs for larger or smaller jurisdictions of the organization. | 20. '''''Switch jurisdictions.''''' If the answer you want isn’t found in county records, then search at the town, state, and national levels for similar records. Write or search catalogs for larger or smaller jurisdictions of the organization. | ||
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24. '''''Find John Doe's children.''''' Thoroughly research the children to find clues about the parents. | 24. '''''Find John Doe's children.''''' Thoroughly research the children to find clues about the parents. | ||
25. '''''Research neighbors and relatives.''''' People move in groups. The neighbor often came from the same place as your ancestor. Plat your ancestor's land, and run the deeds of each neighbor. Find out who the witnesses on documents are.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Rural Strategies: Correlation of Land &amp; Other Records" (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology &amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 16 June 2005).</ref> [[Research a Family in Community Context|Study a family in community context]]. Study people in the area with the same surname, and with different surnames in the same house. Identify census neighbors at least 12 before/after. Near a county/state line, study families over the line. Comb the area for same first names, origins, or jobs.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Censuses: Analysis, Interpretation &amp; Correlation” (lecture presented in Course 4 Advanced Method-ology &amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 13 June 2005).</ref> | 25. '''''Research neighbors and relatives.''''' People move in groups. The neighbor often came from the same place as your ancestor. Plat your ancestor's land, and run the deeds of each neighbor. Find out who the witnesses on documents are.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Rural Strategies: Correlation of Land &amp;amp; Other Records" (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology &amp;amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 16 June 2005).</ref> [[Research a Family in Community Context|Study a family in community context]]. Study people in the area with the same surname, and with different surnames in the same house. Identify census neighbors at least 12 before/after. Near a county/state line, study families over the line. Comb the area for same first names, origins, or jobs.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Censuses: Analysis, Interpretation &amp;amp; Correlation” (lecture presented in Course 4 Advanced Method-ology &amp;amp; Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 13 June 2005).</ref> | ||
=== '''Use methodical logic, deduction, inference, and inspiration to shed new light on the problem.''' === | === '''Use methodical logic, deduction, inference, and inspiration to shed new light on the problem.''' === | ||
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26. '''''Create a master research plan.''''' Identify a problem. Set a research goal. Figure out which records are likely to contain answers, and which repositories to use. Track >em down. Write up and share the results. | 26. '''''Create a master research plan.''''' Identify a problem. Set a research goal. Figure out which records are likely to contain answers, and which repositories to use. Track >em down. Write up and share the results. | ||
27. '''''Correlate and integrate records of neighbors.''''' Even "landless" ancestors may be traced by creatively using data about neighbors and correlating it with facts about the problem ancestor. Identify census and land office neighbors. Organize and sort what you know and look for similarities and dissimilarities. Keep asking what your correlated sources imply about subtle relationships, or further records and clues.<ref>Mills, “Rural Strategies: Correlation of Land &amp; Other Records.”</ref> | 27. '''''Correlate and integrate records of neighbors.''''' Even "landless" ancestors may be traced by creatively using data about neighbors and correlating it with facts about the problem ancestor. Identify census and land office neighbors. Organize and sort what you know and look for similarities and dissimilarities. Keep asking what your correlated sources imply about subtle relationships, or further records and clues.<ref>Mills, “Rural Strategies: Correlation of Land &amp;amp; Other Records.”</ref> | ||
28. '''''Study migration patterns.''''' Rivers and mountains channeled migration trails into predictable patterns. When you know where a family settled, you can often infer where they came from. First settlers often named their new town after the place they left behind. | 28. '''''Study migration patterns.''''' Rivers and mountains channeled migration trails into predictable patterns. When you know where a family settled, you can often infer where they came from. First settlers often named their new town after the place they left behind. | ||