South Dakota Getting Started

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Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

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South Dakota

Research Tips and Strategies

Getting Started

Beginning Research in South Dakota

• Finding South Dakota Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research
• South Dakota Online Genealogy Records
• South Dakota Record Finder
• Step-by-Step South Dakota Research, 1850-1905
• Step-by-Step South Dakota Research, 1905-Present
• Research Strategies
• See also United States Getting Started 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: Different regions of the United States can have different records. See South Dakota's Record Finder table to see 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.