Indiana Research Tips and Strategies

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Research Tips and Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page The Indiana Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Indiana. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Indiana Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Indiana:

Finding Indiana Birth, Marriage or Death Records

• Finding Indiana Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research

Finding Indiana Records

• Indiana Record Finder

Indiana Statewide Databases

• Indiana Online Genealogy Records

Indiana Research Process

• Step-by-Step Indiana Research, 1900 to the Present
• Step-by-Step Indiana Research, 1850-1900
• Indiana Descendancy Research
• How to find Indiana Birth Records
• How to find Indiana Marriage Records
• How to find Indiana Death Records

Indiana Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Indiana.

Birth and Death information:

• Statewide registration: The state began registering births and deaths beginning in 1907, with full compliance by 1920.
• County regististration: County health office recorded death records beginning in 1882 until the state board took over in January 1900.

Substitute records:

• Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth marriage and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but were not recorded at the time of the event or was not an official record of the event.
• Accuracy: Because the information about an event was not the official record of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records), other secondary sources should be sought for varification.
• Indiana Record Finder

Finding Parents:

• Death records: Death records created by the county starting in 1882 may contain parents of the deceased. However, state recorded deaths required birth and parent information. Information is only as accurate as a grieving relative remembers.
• Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members.

Census Records:

• Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members.
• Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
• Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

Further Indiana Research

• FamilySearch Research Guide
• Indiana Family History Library Research Outline
• INGenWeb] - Indiana GenWeb Project
• Indiana Genealogy Trails - collection of transcribed data for the state of Indiana
• Cyndi's List - Indiana genealogy sites on the internet
• Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness - State of Indiana Records Guide