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*'''Understand the Whole Family:''' Research all members of your ancestor's family including parents, siblings, in-laws, children and their spouses, etc. The more you find out about family members, the more clues to other records you will find. | *'''Understand the Whole Family:''' Research all members of your ancestor's family including parents, siblings, in-laws, children and their spouses, etc. The more you find out about family members, the more clues to other records you will find. | ||
*'''Friends and Associtates:''' Research the lives of all known associates including extended family members, witnesses on documents, and neighbors. Search for them in all records available - see [[Burned Counties Research #Substitute Records|list]] below. | *'''Friends and Associtates:''' Research the lives of all known associates including extended family members, witnesses on documents, and neighbors. Search for them in all records available - see [[Burned Counties Research #Substitute Records|list]] below. | ||
*''Write a Plan<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Dissecting the Research Problem” (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology and Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 17 June 2005).</ref>: | *'''Write a Plan'''<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Dissecting the Research Problem” (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology and Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 17 June 2005).</ref>: You should have a [[Decide What You Want to Learn|research goal]] formulated as it will help you determine what records to focus on and search for. | ||
*'''Surrounding Counties:''' Search surrounding counties and those records for your ancestor and family members. You may find them listed in other records because of associating with others over the border of the county. Exhaust these records. | *'''Surrounding Counties:''' Search surrounding counties and those records for your ancestor and family members. You may find them listed in other records because of associating with others over the border of the county. Exhaust these records. | ||
*'''Search Courthouse of Record Loss:''' Search the courthouse for records AFTER the record loss. If your ancestors stayed in the area during the time period, you should look in records up to 100 years after the record loss. Records of children and grandchildren can give information about their ancestors. Search in all the court records mentioned below. | *'''Search Courthouse of Record Loss:''' Search the courthouse for records AFTER the record loss. If your ancestors stayed in the area during the time period, you should look in records up to 100 years after the record loss. Records of children and grandchildren can give information about their ancestors. Search in all the court records mentioned below. | ||
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