Western Australia Getting Started

Australia

Research Strategies

Getting Started

Western Australia Wiki Topics
Beginning Research
Getting Started Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder
Record Types
Biographies Cemeteries Census Church Records Civil Registration Compiled Genealogies Convict Records Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Land & Property	Medical Records Military Records Newspapers Obituaries Occupations Online Records Periodicals Probate Records Schools and Education Records Tax Records Voting Records
Western Australia Background
History	Maps
Local Research Resources
Archives & Libraries Societies FamilySearch Centers

Beginning Research in Western Australia

• Finding Western Australia Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research
• Western Australia Record Finder
• Western Australia Online Genealogy Records
• Finding Historical Records on the Western Australian Online Index at Government of Western Australia
• Australia Finding Town of Origin - locating the town your ancestor was from
• See also Australia Research Strategies for more resources.

How to Research

1. Identify what you know: Work from the known to the unknown. Don't jump straight back to a distant ancestor. Begin with the present and confirm/document the information and relationships as you work your way back.
2. Document/source your tree: As you gather information, identify where and who each piece of information came from. Evaluate how reliable the sources are, and ensure you are interpreting them correctly. Don't simply accept ancestral information on your tree. Instead, look for records or other reliable sources to support each date, place, and relationship.
3. Decide what you want to learn: Have a specific research goal or objective. This is defined by pursuing a specific piece of information about a specific ancestor. An example of a bad, or too-generic research goal is: "I want to know more about my great-grandfather." An example of a good research goal is: "I want to find the marriage date of my great-grandparents."
4. Select records to search: Each country's record-keeping practices are different. See your state's Record Finder table to determine what kind of record could provide the desired ancestral information. Search the desired records.
5. Analyze/use the information: When you find new sources, carefully evaluate them to ensure they are about the correct ancestors, and that the information in the evidence is being accurately interpreted. Cite or document your sources in your family tree establish the accuracy of your findings.