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Tracing Immigrants Arrival Search Tactics (view source)
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After reviewing home and family sources, look for research done by others on your family lines. Someone else may have already identified the immigrant's place of origin. Even if you do not find the place of origin, you might uncover important clues. Seek information for both the immigrant ancestor and other family members. | After reviewing home and family sources, look for research done by others on your family lines. Someone else may have already identified the immigrant's place of origin. Even if you do not find the place of origin, you might uncover important clues. Seek information for both the immigrant ancestor and other family members. | ||
Look for large indexed or alphabetical collections first. The sources in the Wiki article [[ | Look for large indexed or alphabetical collections first. The sources in the Wiki article [[Major Databases for Beginning United States Research|Major Databases for Beginning United States Research]] are a great places to start. At the Family History Library, look in the Surname section of the catalog for family histories and biographies, Ancestral File, International Genealogical Index, and Family Group Records Collections. Each of these contains millions of names, is international in scope, and represents many hours of work done by others. Also search previous research collected by other libraries and archives. | ||
Seek published genealogies, family histories, and biographies. Many focus on immigrant ancestors as a starting point and show several generations of descendants. Look for catalogs and indexes from other libraries to help find published genealogies. | Seek published genealogies, family histories, and biographies. Many focus on immigrant ancestors as a starting point and show several generations of descendants. Look for catalogs and indexes from other libraries to help find published genealogies. See the [[Tracing_Immigrants_Search_Strategies#Genealogical_Records|Search Strategies]] section of this article for ideas for obtaining these kinds of records. | ||
If one particular compiled record does not help, search for others until you have exhausted all available sources of previous research. | If one particular compiled record does not help, search for others until you have exhausted all available sources of previous research. | ||