Use the Information

Previous page

Step 5: Use the information.

After you have searched records you are ready to use the information you found.

To make best use of the information—

• Evaluate what you found.
• Transfer needed information to the appropriate forms.
• Organize the new records.
• Share your findings.

When you have completed this step, you will have new information organized on family group record and/or pedigree charts. You may also have recorded the information in personal or family history notes.

When you have learned all you wish to learn about a family, share your information with others by contributing it to Ancestral File or by preparing and publishing a book or article or putting up an Internet site. Latter-day Saint Church members will want to prepare their ancestors’ names for temple ordinances.

You will also be ready to start the process again and return to Step 1 to research another objective or individual.

Evaluate the Evidence

Having found one or more records about a person, it is time to evaluate what you found and determine how helpful and reliable it is.

Using a Computer for Genealogy

Using a Computer for Genealogy

You do not have to have a personal computer to keep genealogy records, but it helps! Computer note keeping offers an important advantage. After typing the information once, you can use it repeatedly in many different ways. The same information can be used in pedigrees, family group records and descendancy charts, and is easily shared for other people to use. This flexibility saves time. Reports and charts are easily updated without extensive retyping. A computer program can help you analyze some information by preparing special reports, such as possible errors (for example, children born before parents’ births). However, computers may be expensive and are not as portable as a pencil and paper. Specially designed computer programs are available to help genealogists more easily compile— Lineage-linked databases (files which can be searched by name, date, place, or relationship and which show a person’s ancestors and descendants) Reports and charts Blank forms (for example, research logs) Autobiographies and family histories Indexes Transcriptions of records such as censuses When selecting computer programs to help with genealogical note keeping, consider these factors: Does it enable you to create a lineage-linked database and to print the reports and charts you want? Does the program communicate and work well with New FamilySearch? Does the program support GEDCOM? (Genealogical Data COMmunications) so you can easily send and receive genealogical information and contribute to Ancestral File? Does the publisher have a good record of answering user questions and helping to solve problems? Is it easy to use? Is the price reasonable? Does the program offer all the features and capabilities you want? Two helpful reviews of dozens of genealogy programs are on the Internet at: “Best Genealogy Software” ConsumerSearch at http://www.consumersearch.com/www/software/genealogy-software/ [cited 5 April 2008]. “Genealogy Software Reviews, Ratings, and Comparisons” About.com:Genealogy at http://genealogy.about.com/od/software_reviews/ [cited 5 April 2008]

For Further Reading

Appendixes