Alabama Getting Started: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 16:51, 17 February 2025

Alabama Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Record Types

Alabama Background

Cultural Groups

Local Research Resources

Alabama

Research Tips and Strategies

Getting Started

Beginning Research in Alabama[edit | edit source]

How to Research[edit | edit source]

Identify what you know: Work from the known to the unknown. Don't jump straight back to a distant ancestor. Begin with the present and confirm/document the information and relationships as you work your way back.
Document/source your tree: As you gather information, identify where and who each piece of information came from. Evaluate how reliable the sources are, and ensure you are interpreting them correctly. Don't simply accept ancestral information on your tree. Instead, look for records or other reliable sources to support each date, place, and relationship.
Decide what you want to learn: Have a specific research goal or objective. This is defined by pursuing a specific piece of information about a specific ancestor. An example of a bad, or too-generic research goal is: "I want to know more about my great-grandfather." An example of a good research goal is: "I want to find the marriage date of my great-grandparents."
Select records to search: Different regions of the United States can have different records. See Alabama's Record Finder table to see what kind of record could provide the desired ancestral information. Search the desired records.
Analyze/use the information: When you find new sources, carefully evaluate them to ensure they are about the correct ancestors, and that the information in the evidence is being accurately interpreted. Cite or document your sources in your family tree establish the accuracy of your findings.

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-{{breadcrumb
+ {{AL-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
 | link1=[[Alabama, United States Genealogy|Alabama]]
 | link2=[[Alabama Research Tips and Strategies|Research Tips and Strategies]]
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 | link5=[[Alabama Getting Started|Getting Started]]
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-==How to Research==
-# '''[[Identify What You Know|Identify what you know]]:''' Work from the known to the unknown. Don't jump straight back to a distant ancestor. Begin with the present and confirm/document the information and relationships as you work your way back.
-# '''Document/source your tree:''' As you gather information, identify where and who each piece of information came from. [[Evaluate the Evidence|Evaluate how reliable the sources are]], and ensure you are interpreting them correctly. Don't simply accept ancestral information on your tree. Instead, look for records or other reliable sources to support each date, place, and relationship.
-# '''[[Decide What You Want to Learn|Decide what you want to learn]]:''' Have a specific research goal or objective. This is defined by pursuing a [[A_Guide_to_Research#2._Decide_What_You_Want_to_Learn_About_Your_Family|specific piece of information]] about a specific ancestor. An example of a ''bad'', or ''too-generic'' research goal is: "I want to know more about my great-grandfather." An example of a ''good'' research goal is: "I want to find the marriage date of my great-grandparents."
-# '''[[Select Records to Search|Select records to search]]:''' Each country's record-keeping practices are different. See your country's [[England Record Finder|Record Finder]] table to determine what kind of record could provide the desired ancestral information. Search the desired records.
-# '''[[Use the Information|Analyze/use the information]]:''' When you find new sources, carefully [[Evaluate the Evidence|evaluate them]] to ensure they are about the correct ancestors, and that the information in the evidence is being accurately interpreted. [[Transfer_the_Information#Cite_Your_Sources|Cite]] or document your sources in your family tree establish the accuracy of your findings.
 ==Beginning Research in Alabama==
-*[[GuidedResearch:Alabama|Guided Research]]
+*[[GuidedResearch:Alabama|Finding Alabama Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research]]
+*[[Alabama Online Genealogy Records|Alabama Online Genealogy Records]]
+*[[Alabama Record Finder]]
 *[[Step-by-Step Alabama Research, 1880-Present]]
 *[[Step-by-Step Alabama Research, 1850-1910]]
-*[[Alabama Descendancy Research]]
-*[[How to Find Alabama Birth Records|How to Find Birth Records]]
-*[[How to Find Alabama Marriage Records|How to Find Marriage Records]]
-*[[How to Find Alabama Death Records|How to Find Death Records]]
 *[[Alabama Research Tips and Strategies|Research Strategies]]
-*See also [[United States Getting Started|U.S. Getting Started]] for more resources.
+*See also [[United States Getting Started|United States Getting Started]] for more resources.
+==How to Research==
+# '''[[Identify What You Know|Identify what you know]]:''' Work from the known to the unknown. Don't jump straight back to a distant ancestor. Begin with the present and confirm/document the information and relationships as you work your way back.
+# '''Document/source your tree:''' As you gather information, identify where and who each piece of information came from. [[Evaluate the Evidence|Evaluate how reliable the sources are]], and ensure you are interpreting them correctly. Don't simply accept ancestral information on your tree. Instead, look for records or other reliable sources to support each date, place, and relationship.
+# '''[[Decide What You Want to Learn|Decide what you want to learn]]:''' Have a specific research goal or objective. This is defined by pursuing a [[A_Guide_to_Research#2._Decide_What_You_Want_to_Learn_About_Your_Family|specific piece of information]] about a specific ancestor. An example of a ''bad'', or ''too-generic'' research goal is: "I want to know more about my great-grandfather." An example of a ''good'' research goal is: "I want to find the marriage date of my great-grandparents."
+# '''[[Select Records to Search|Select records to search]]:''' Different regions of the United States can have different records. See Alabama's [[Alabama Record Finder|Record Finder]] table to see what kind of record could provide the desired ancestral information. Search the desired records.
+# '''[[Use the Information|Analyze/use the information]]:''' When you find new sources, carefully [[Evaluate the Evidence|evaluate them]] to ensure they are about the correct ancestors, and that the information in the evidence is being accurately interpreted. [[Transfer_the_Information#Cite_Your_Sources|Cite]] or document your sources in your family tree establish the accuracy of your findings.
 [[Category:Alabama, United States]][[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]]