70
edits
Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls: Difference between revisions
Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls (view source)
Revision as of 16:23, 2 April 2014
, 2 April 2014no edit summary
Judy.dewey (talk | contribs) mNo edit summary |
Judy.dewey (talk | contribs) mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 66: | Line 66: | ||
8. '''''Start with a well-documented family group record.''''' Compile a family group with a [[Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)|source footnote]] for '''''every''''' source that mentions the family. [[Adding a Custom Event to a PAF Family Group Record|Show '''''every''''' event]] for '''''every''''' family member (not just birth, marriage and death events), including census, migration, military service, jury duty, acquisition or sale of land, and wills. This family group record becomes a road map of clues to suggest further places to research. | 8. '''''Start with a well-documented family group record.''''' Compile a family group with a [[Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)|source footnote]] for '''''every''''' source that mentions the family. [[Adding a Custom Event to a PAF Family Group Record|Show '''''every''''' event]] for '''''every''''' family member (not just birth, marriage and death events), including census, migration, military service, jury duty, acquisition or sale of land, and wills. This family group record becomes a road map of clues to suggest further places to research. | ||
9. '''''[[Research Logs|Research logs]].''''' Keep good ''research logs'' for each family.<ref>Dilts.</ref> List the objective of each of your searches | 9. '''''[[Research Logs|Research logs]].''''' Keep good ''research logs'' for each family.<ref>Dilts.</ref> List the objective of each of your searches; for example, list John Doe’s name and the type of event (birth, marriage, or death). List every record you plan to search BEFORE you search it. If you do not find what you seek, write “nil” on the log so you know you have already searched there and do not need to repeat that search. Too many “nils” show you should search elsewhere. If you DO find it, summarize what you found (person and event). Also list letters you write, phone calls, and Internet searches and results on your ''research log.'' | ||
10. '''''[[Document AS YOU GO!|Document and organize AS YOU GO]].'''''<ref>Harless.</ref> When you search a document but it has no information about your ancestor, his kin, or his neighbors, write "nil" in the results field. If you DO find something, do the following before you look for any more documents (or lay your head on your pillow): | 10. '''''[[Document AS YOU GO!|Document and organize AS YOU GO]].'''''<ref>Harless.</ref> When you search a document but it has no information about your ancestor, his kin, or his neighbors, write "nil" in the results field. If you DO find something, do the following before you look for any more documents (or lay your head on your pillow): | ||
| Line 76: | Line 76: | ||
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 | 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. | e. Transfer new family data from the source to appropriate family group records. | ||
| Line 82: | Line 82: | ||
f. Enter new [[Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)|source footnotes]] for every piece of data on a source, even if that event already has a note. | f. Enter new [[Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)|source footnotes]] for every piece of data on a source, even if that event already has a note. | ||
g. Add a preliminary assessment | g. Add a preliminary assessment of the data and its reliability to the end of each source footnote.<ref>Mills, “Dissecting the Research Problem.”</ref> | ||
h. Print the updated family group record. | h. Print the updated family group record. | ||
| Line 92: | Line 92: | ||
12. '''''Look for John Doe's death documents.''''' Look for obituaries, church burials, church bell tolling lists, funeral sermon eulogies, funeral home records, funeral cards, tombstones, sexton’s records, insurance, pensions, Social Security, death certificates, family Bibles, wills, estate papers, and land sales papers. | 12. '''''Look for John Doe's death documents.''''' Look for obituaries, church burials, church bell tolling lists, funeral sermon eulogies, funeral home records, funeral cards, tombstones, sexton’s records, insurance, pensions, Social Security, death certificates, family Bibles, wills, estate papers, and land sales papers. | ||
13. '''''Local histories, biographies, and genealogies.''''' Town and county histories often have biographical information about citizens. Look in the[https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog Family History Library Catalog ]Use Place Search from the drop down put in STATE, or COUNTY –then use key word in drop down put in HISTORY for counties, or STATE, COUNTY, TOWN – HISTORY for town histories. Repeat for the topic BIOGRAPHY and again for GENEALOGY. | 13. '''''Local histories, biographies, and genealogies.''''' Town and county histories often have biographical information about citizens. Look in the [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog Family History Library Catalog]. Use Place Search from the drop down put in STATE, or COUNTY –then use key word in drop down put in HISTORY for counties, or STATE, COUNTY, TOWN – HISTORY for town histories. Repeat for the topic BIOGRAPHY and again for GENEALOGY. | ||
== '''C. More Advanced Research Strategies''' == | == '''C. More Advanced Research Strategies''' == | ||