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Compiled Sources & Where to Find Them (view source)
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Regardless of your experience as a family history researcher in using primary and original records, and no matter how many years of experience in researching family trees, this important checklist of Compiled Sources will help you more comprehensively search for data already constructed on your family lines. Family history seekers are guaranteed a pleasant surprise as they strike ‘gold’ by discovering already completed research on at least one or some in-common ancestral family lineages. This list helps you to more meticulously search in secondary or what genealogists call compiled sources. It’s to help you identify, then search as many of today’s offerings for completed family genealogical (research) work which in today’s world has become a quantumly more complex and unwieldy task than ever, from library and archival catalogs and published inventories of collections, to online databases, family websites and surname-specialty sources! So, how does one keep current on all the repositories, web sites, and other places holding "compiled (or survey) sources" in order to implement this fundamental step in the research process? | Regardless of your experience as a family history researcher in using primary and original records, and no matter how many years of experience in researching family trees, this important checklist of Compiled Sources will help you more comprehensively search for data already constructed on your family lines. Family history seekers are guaranteed a pleasant surprise as they strike ‘gold’ by discovering already completed research on at least one or some in-common ancestral family lineages. This list helps you to more meticulously search in secondary or what genealogists call compiled sources. It’s to help you identify, then search as many of today’s offerings for completed family genealogical (research) work which in today’s world has become a quantumly more complex and unwieldy task than ever, from library and archival catalogs and published inventories of collections, to online databases, family websites and surname-specialty sources! So, how does one keep current on all the repositories, web sites, and other places holding "compiled (or survey) sources" in order to implement this fundamental step in the research process? | ||
The ‘lists’ of compiled sources in this article are a great start. Collectively, these literally represent family history 'silos' containing billions of ancestral names with already compiled data about them! The searches in these sources should be performed before you begin actual genealogical researching in original record sources. | The ‘lists’ of compiled sources in this article are a great start. Collectively, these literally represent family history 'silos' containing billions of ancestral names with already compiled data about them! The searches in these sources should be performed before you begin actual genealogical researching in original record sources. | ||
== The Preliminary Search Standard == | == The Preliminary Search Standard == | ||
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=== Step 1. Preliminary search in home sources<br> === | === Step 1. Preliminary search in home sources<br> === | ||
Thoroughly scour all home sources (including family history papers, copies of records, pictures, old letters (i.e. with an old address), family Bibles, journals/dairies, copies of vital record certificates and church records, memorabilia, interviews with extended family and close relatives’--and ensure the searching their home premises for family records, as well as interviewing old neighbors--''all'' of which may prove very helpful! If we do not seek these and scan all to ascertain important details about our immigrant ancestors, we cannot honestly say that our (preliminary) search is completed. | Thoroughly scour all home sources (including family history papers, copies of records, pictures, old letters (i.e. with an old address), family Bibles, journals/dairies, copies of vital record certificates and church records, memorabilia, interviews with extended family and close relatives’--and ensure the searching their home premises for family records, as well as interviewing old neighbors--''all'' of which may prove very helpful! If we do not seek these and scan all to ascertain important details about our immigrant ancestors, we cannot honestly say that our (preliminary) search is completed. | ||
=== Step 2. Preliminary search for compiled genealogies, biography, local history <br> === | === Step 2. Preliminary search for compiled genealogies, biography, local history <br> === | ||
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[http://www.MyHeritage.com www.MyHeritage.com] – has over 353 million names worldwide | [http://www.MyHeritage.com www.MyHeritage.com] – has over 353 million names worldwide | ||
[http://www.GenesReunited.com www.GenesReunited.com] the largest UK site with over 650 million UK names; perhaps the most effective, powerful web site whose offerings allow researchers to find distant cousins working on in-common ancestry | [http://www.GenesReunited.com www.GenesReunited.com] the largest UK site with over 650 million UK names; perhaps the most effective, powerful web site whose offerings allow researchers to find distant cousins working on in-common ancestry | ||
[http://www.LostCousins.com www.lostcousins.com] - a wonderful site that provides access to hundreds of millions of UK-based and other ancestral names throughout many parts of the world | [http://www.LostCousins.com www.lostcousins.com] - a wonderful site that provides access to hundreds of millions of UK-based and other ancestral names throughout many parts of the world | ||
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Gen Serve at [http://www.genserv.com/ http://www.genserv.com/] is a large gateway website with 1000’s of website links to it | Gen Serve at [http://www.genserv.com/ http://www.genserv.com/] is a large gateway website with 1000’s of website links to it | ||
Rootsweb.com at [http://www.rootsweb.com www.rootsweb.com] is a well known site providing a search of nearly 300 million names with already completed data | Rootsweb.com at [http://www.rootsweb.com www.rootsweb.com] is a well known site providing a search of nearly 300 million names with already completed data | ||
==== '''Repositories and libraries''' ==== | ==== '''Repositories and libraries''' ==== | ||
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College of Arms (London), Lord Lyons (King of Arms in Scotland) | College of Arms (London), Lord Lyons (King of Arms in Scotland) | ||
Large to very small local public libraries often have rich local genealogical holdings | Large to very small local public libraries often have rich local genealogical holdings | ||
=== Step 3: '''Search compiled sources or indexes in the host country of settlement''' === | === Step 3: '''Search compiled sources or indexes in the host country of settlement''' === | ||
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society: member interests | society: member interests | ||
county surname collections | county surname collections | ||
[[Category:Charts and forms]] | |||