Germany Research Tips and Strategies: Difference between revisions

Germany Research Tips and Strategies (view source)

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 *Variants can include different forms and spellings for the given name and surname and significant variations in both places and dates.
-==== Using online indexes ====
+==== Using online indexes  ====
 *Every index is different. If you can't find a person in one index, look for another index for the same set of records.
 *For best results become familiar with the search mechanisms used by each website. There are differences, such as the use of "wild cards".
 *Before doing a search, understand exactly what has been indexed. Is the complete record set covered,&nbsp; a significant portion, or just a small percentage?
 *Indexing is often outsourced to countries with low labor costs; thus the indexer may not be familiar with the script and/or language of the records. Being aware of that possibility allows you to search under variant spellings not only by how the name may have sounded, but also by how it may have looked to someone who could not really "read" it in context.
-*It may prove difficult to locate the record referenced by the index, especially if the collection is "index-only." Other digital, microfilmed, or published indexes may need to be used.<br><br>
+*It may prove difficult to locate the record referenced by the index, especially if the collection is "index-only." Other digital, microfilmed, or published indexes may need to be used.<br>
+==== Using town genealogies (Ortssippenbücher/ Ortsfamilienbücher)<br> ====
+Published town genealogies are convenient to use, but they are a derivative source and may contain inaccuracies:<br>
+*Incorrect data may have been incorporated from another published or unpublished source
+*The author worked with a limited number of original sources and thus arrived at incorrect conclusions
+*Original documents may have been difficult to read
+*Mistakes were made in translation or transcription.
+Use the published work with a critical eye. Whenever possible, it should be followed up with extensive research in the original sources, usually civil registration and church records.<br>
+'''Generally,''' town genealogies include everyone who showed up in the records, but there are always '''exceptions'''. Thus, if a person is not found in a published volume, check the original records anyway. Also study the preface and explanatory notes of the book.<br>
+<br>
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