Illinois Research Tips and Strategies: Difference between revisions

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Research Tips and Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page
The Illinois Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Illinois. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Illinois Research Strategies[edit | edit source]

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Illinois

Illinois Research Tips[edit | edit source]

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Illinois.

Birth information: Birth records in Illinois start on the county level in 1916 with compliance by 1922. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other substitute records to improve accuracy.
Finding Parents: The State of Illinois began recording deaths in 1877. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. Search Illinois death records
Look in all censuses: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. Search U.S. Censuses.

Illinois Record Finder[edit | edit source]

This brief Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research. For a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see Illinois Record Finder.

1. What you are looking for:	2. Try these records first:	3. Other useful records
Birth information	Birth records Death records Obituaries Church records	Cemeteries Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) Bible records Military records
Marriage information	Marriage records Obituaries Bible records	Church records Probate records Military records
Death information	Death Records Cemeteries Obituaries	Probate Records Church Records Bible Records
Parents	Birth records Death records Obituaries Census Church records	Biography Genealogy
Maiden name	Marriage Records Obituaries Probate records	Church Records Military Records
Immigration date	Emigration and Immigration Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) Census	Obituaries Biography History
Naturalization	Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) Census Court Records	Voting Records Biography Periodicals
Physical description	Military Records Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) (after 1906)	Biography History

Further Illinois Research[edit | edit source]

Remember, for a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see Illinois Record Finder.
For online record collections, go to Illinois Online Genealogy Records.
For more research on Illinois, including research at the county level, visit the Illinois page on the Research Wiki.
Search all of the Illinois record collections at FamilySearch.

Diane Renner Walsh. Genealogical Research in Illinois. National Genealogical Society Quarterly. 94 #1 (March 2006):38-67. FS Library 973 B2ng

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-| link1=[[Illinois, United States Genealogy|Illinois]]
+| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
-| link2=
+| link2=[[Illinois, United States Genealogy|Illinois]]
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-== Illinois Research Strategies  ==
+=== Illinois Research Strategies  ===
-Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Illinois:<br>
-===Finding Illinois Birth, Marriage or Death Records===
+Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Illinois<br>
-*[[GuidedResearch:Illinois|Finding Illinois Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research]]
-===Finding Illinois Records===
-*[[Illinois Record Finder]]
-===Illinois Statewide Databases===
 *[[Illinois Online Genealogy Records|Illinois Online Genealogy Records]]
-===Illinois Research Process===
-*[[Step-by-Step Illinois Research, 1880-Present]]
-*[[Step-by-Step Illinois Research, 1850-1910]]
-*[[Illinois Descendancy Research]]
 *[[How to Find Illinois Birth Records|How to find Illinois Birth Records]]
 *[[How to Find Illinois Marriage Records|How to find Illinois Marriage Records]]
 *[[How to Find Illinois Death Records|How to find Illinois Death Records]]
-== Illinois Research Tips  ==
+=== Illinois Research Tips  ===
-These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Illinois. <br>
+These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Illinois.
-<br>
-'''Birth and Death information:'''<br>
-----
-*'''''Statewide registration:''''' The state began registering births and deaths in 1916, with full compliance for births by 1922 and for deaths in 1919.
-*'''''County regististration:''''' County health office began recording births and death records in 1877 until the state board took over in 1916.
-*'''''Access to records:''''' See [[Illinois Vital Records]] for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Illinois.
-<br>
-'''Substitute Records:'''
-----
-*'''''Secondary source:''''' Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
-*'''''Accuracy:''''' Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
-*'''''List of substitute records:''''' See [[Illinois Substitute Records|Illinois Substitute Records]] for more information.
-<br>
-'''Finding Parents:'''
-----
-*'''''Death records:''''' Death records created by the county starting in 1877 may contain parents of the deceased. However, state recorded deaths required birth and parent information. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
-*'''''Obituaries:''''' Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See [[Illinois Newspapers]] and [[Illinois Obituaries]] for more information.
-*'''''Church records:''''' Knowing the denominiation of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See [[Illinois Church Records]] for more information.
-<br>
-'''Census Records:'''
-----
-*'''''Check all census years:''''' Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See [[Illinois Census|Illinois Census Records]] for more information.
-*'''''Clues to other records:''''' There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
-*'''''Finding families:''''' Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.
-== Further Illinois Research  ==
+*'''Birth information:''' Birth records in Illinois start on the county level in 1916 with compliance by 1922. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other [[Substitute Records For United States Birth Information|substitute records]] to improve accuracy.
-*[http://files.lib.byu.edu/family-history-library/research-outlines/US/Illinois.pdf Illinois Family History Research Outline]
+*'''Finding Parents:''' The State of Illinois began recording deaths in 1877. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. [[How to Find United States Death Records|Search Illinois death records]]
-*[https://illinoisgenweb.org/#gsc.tab=0 ILGenWeb] - Illinois GenWeb Project
+*'''Look in all censuses:''' Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. [[United States Census Online|Search U.S. Censuses]].
-*[http://genealogytrails.com/ill/ Illinois Genealogy Trails] - Collection of transcribed data for the state of Illinois
+=== Illinois Record Finder  ===
-*[http://www.cyndislist.com/us/il/ Cyndi's List] - Illinois genealogy sites on the internet
-*[http://www.raogk.org/illinois-genealogy/ Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness] - State of Illinois Records Guide
+This brief Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research. '''For a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see [[Illinois Record Finder]].'''
-*"Genealogical Research in Illinois," by Diane Renner Walsh, ''National Genealogical Society Quarterly.'' no. 94 #1 (March 2006):38-67. {{FSC|1290411|item|disp=FS Catalog book 973 B2ng}}
+{| width="70%" border="1"
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"| '''1. What you are looking for:'''
+| style="padding:10px"| '''2. Try these records first:'''
+| style="padding:10px"|'''3. Other useful records'''
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Birth information
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[How to Find Illinois Birth Records|Birth records]]
+*[[How to Find Illinois Death Records|Death records]]
+*[[Illinois Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Illinois Church Records|Church records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Illinois Cemeteries|Cemeteries]]
+*[[Illinois Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]<br>(after 1906)
+*[[Illinois Bible Records|Bible records]]
+*[[Illinois Military Records|Military records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Marriage information
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Illinois Marriage Records|Marriage records]]
+*[[Illinois Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Illinois Bible Records|Bible records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Illinois Church Records|Church records]]
+*[[Illinois Probate Records|Probate records]]
+*[[Illinois Military Records|Military records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Death information
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Illinois Death Records|Death Records]]
+*[[Illinois Cemeteries|Cemeteries]]
+*[[Illinois Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Illinois Probate Records|Probate Records]]
+*[[Illinois Church Records|Church Records]]
+*[[Illinois Bible Records|Bible Records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Parents
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Illinois Birth Records|Birth records]]
+*[[How to Find Illinois Death Records|Death records]]
+*[[Illinois Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Illinois Census|Census]]
+*[[Illinois Church Records|Church records]]
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Illinois Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Illinois, United States Genealogy|Genealogy]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Maiden name
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Illinois Marriage Records|Marriage Records]]
+*[[Illinois Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Illinois Probate Records|Probate records]]
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Illinois Church Records|Church Records]]
+*[[Illinois Military Records|Military Records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Immigration date
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Illinois Emigration and Immigration|Emigration and Immigration]]
+*[[Illinois Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]<br>(after 1906)
+*[[Illinois Census|Census]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Illinois Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Illinois Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Illinois History|History]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Naturalization
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Illinois Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]<br>(after 1906)
+*[[Illinois Census|Census]]
+*[[Illinois Court Records|Court Records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Illinois Voting Records|Voting Records]]
+*[[Illinois Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Illinois Periodicals|Periodicals]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Physical description
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Illinois Military Records|Military Records]]
+*[[Illinois Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]<br>(after 1906) (after 1906)
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Illinois Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Illinois History|History]]
+|}
+=== Further Illinois Research  ===
+*'''Remember, for a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see [[Illinois Record Finder]].'''
+*For online record collections, go to [[Illinois Online Genealogy Records|'''Illinois Online Genealogy Records.''']]
+*For more research on Illinois, including research at the county level, visit the [[Illinois, United States Genealogy|'''Illinois''']] page on the Research Wiki.
+*Search all of the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/location/14?region=United%20States%20of%20America Illinois record collections] at FamilySearch.
+Diane Renner Walsh.'' Genealogical Research in Illinois.'' National Genealogical Society Quarterly. 94 #1 (March 2006):38-67. FS Library 973 B2ng
 [[Category:Illinois Research Strategies]]
 [[Category:United States Research Strategies]]
 [[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]]