Wondering How To Start Your Family's Genealogy?
Often, we are asked about how to start a family genealogy. While we've helped quite a few people, we thought we'd invite an expert on this field to help answer the question. Caroline Guntur, The Swedish Organizer, is our guest blogger for this "Ask the Pixologist" post.
10 Steps to Start Your Genealogy Journey
Tracing your roots has never been more popular! From DNA testing to shows like Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are, family history has finally gone mainstream, and it’s now America’s favorite indoor hobby. Never before has it been so easy to discover new connections and unlock family secrets.
It can be both challenging and scary to embark on this type of journey because you don’t know what you’re going to find until you start looking, but I can promise you that no matter where it ends up, it’ll be a deeply rewarding experience.
So where do you begin? Here are a few steps to get your started:
Step 1: Write Down What You Already Know
The first thing you should do is write down what you already know. You probably already have the basic information you need to get started, such as your own name and birth date, your parents’ names, your grandparents’ names, and so on. If you or another family member have been adopted, you may face some additional challenges in uncovering this type of information, but any details you have will help. You need a place to start, even if it’s only with one simple fact. As you begin to compile these details, questions will inevitably start to emerge. Write them down. These are your research questions, and should be approached one at a time.
Step 2. Organize Your Information
As you start to collect information, you’ll need to stay organized, and setting up a system right away will help you be more efficient in your research. Decide if you want to keep your information digitally, or if you’d rather go the old fashioned route and use a pen and paper. Both ways work just fine, but understand that as you continue to gather information, it’ll get harder and harder to keep it all organized. If you’re set on working traditionally, get a set of dedicated binders right away. If you’d rather go the digital route, invest in a software, like Family Tree Maker, Rootsmagic, or Legacy. It may be a small out-of-pocket cost, but it will be invaluable tool as you continue on your journey. Preferably, you want to keep this information on your computer to start.
A common rookie mistake is to just start a tree online, and then end up merging it with incorrect information. Take my word for it and start your journey in an organized manner. You’ll be glad you did!
Step 3: Don’t just search, research!
Genealogy works best when you ask a specific question and find the answer to it before moving on. This is known as focused research, so choose your first research question and set out to find the answer to it. A good question will be, for example: “Who were the parents of my great grandfather John Smith, 1848-1903?” instead of something like “Who were the ancestors of John Smith?” The latter will have too many answers, and it would not even be clear which John Smith you’re talking about - remember that there could be multiple generations with the same or very similar names. Once you have ONE solid question, it’s time to start digging.
Step 4: Interview Your Family
Before you look for any official records, ask your relatives if they might have something to share. More often than not, your family is sitting on a goldmine of information, like old photos and documents. The older generation may remember a great deal that you’ve never heard mentioned before, and you don’t want to miss out just because you didn’t think to ask, so pick up the phone and reach out!
Step 5: Go Online
A good place to start looking for records is online. There are minimal costs involved and it’s a good place to start exploring because you can do it from anywhere. You’ll want to look for reputable sources that can give you more clues about where to find copies of your family’s original documents.
Two great places to start are Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. When you find information on your family, make a note of the source citation, so that you can look for the original document if it’s not yet available online. If and when you find that original, make a copy of it, record the information, cite it, and file it for future reference.
Step 6: Visit a Repository
Digitization projects are well underway all over the globe, but unfortunately, it will take decades before even a fraction of the world’s documents will be available via your computer. This means that many of the documents you need will be tucked away in an archive somewhere. If you live in a different state or country than the one your ancestor lived in, it may be a bit trickier to get your hands on this information, but there are plenty of ways to overcome it. Most repositories offer scanning & copy services that you can take advantage of in exchange for a small fee. You can also hire a local genealogist to retrieve information for you (visit the Association of Professional Genealogists to find one). Don’t overlook the local archives as they may have resources you never knew existed!
Step 7: Analyze Your Evidence
Being a genealogist is much like being a lawyer, you’re just working in a different time period. You have to be able to prove your conclusion with sound reasoning and reliable sources, otherwise what good is it? Was Aunt Millie really a witness, or did she just overhear some gossip? What about Anthony and Tony – are they the same person, or two different guys? What was great grandpa’s real name...before he immigrated? You may know the answers to these questions, but can you prove them? That’s the question.
I find that it helps to write things out, so that’s what I do every time I research. Writing a proof argument helps me analyze the evidence in depth to see if it’s credible. It also helps me find discrepancies I never would have seen otherwise. Without analyzing the evidence you find, you can’t draw a valid conclusions about what really happened, so try to learn about the different types of evidence there are and how to best use it all. As the saying goes, “Family history without evidence is fiction.”
Step 8: Learn about the Genealogical GPS
Genealogy has its own set of ethical, moral, and scientific standards, which are collectively known as the the GPS (the Genealogical Proof Standard). These guidelines are put in place to help you become a better researcher, so visit BCG (the Board of Certification for Genealogists) online to start learning about how to research the right way. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well!
Step 9: Don’t Give Up!
The answer is out there. Somewhere. You just have to find it. I really believe that this is true in the majority of cases, and it’s important to not give up even if you can’t find an answer at first. A problem like this - one that seems impossible to overcome - is known as a genealogical brick wall. Finding the answers you need can take months, even years, so it’s a matter of looking at the problem from different angles to see if you can’t spot something that maybe you missed at first glance. Persistence will win out.
If you feel like you can’t figure something out on your own, get a fresh take on it from a Professional Genealogist. Two sets of eyes are better than one, and someone with a different perspective might just find something new. Be sure to visit the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) to find someone with the required knowledge of the local area and time period that can help you through it.
Step 10: Connect with other Researchers
In today’s digital society, it’s easy to connect with other people who are researching the same areas of your family genealogy and maybe even the same people as you. If you find that this type of detective work is a hobby you enjoy and would like to continue, reach out to other genealogists and learn as much as possible.
In the genealogy world, there are webinars every day of the week, many of which are free, so there’s no excuse for not educating yourself. There are hundreds of great blogs you can follow, and plenty of amazing classes you can take. You can even reach out for help on social media. I happen to have a wonderful Facebook group called the Scandinavian Genealogy Group that caters to hobby genealogists of Scandinavian heritage, and I know that mine’s far from the only one out there. Whatever niche you’re researching, there’s a group for that! When you bounce ideas back and forth with others, you’re more likely to make progress, so don’t be a stranger! Connect! We’re all family.
About Caroline
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.organizingphotos.net
Facebook: http://facebook.com/theswedishorganizer
Instagram: http://instagram.com/theswedishorganizer
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theswedishorganizer
Caroline Guntur (formerly Nilsson) is a Swedish Certified
Photo Organizer and Personal Historian, specializing in
digital organizing and family history. She is the owner of The
Swedish Organizer, LLC, a company that provides
customized family history solutions to clients all over the
world. Caroline also hosts webinars, workshops, and creates
online courses.
A native of Ystad, Sweden, Caroline has a Bachelor's
Degree in Visual Communications from Hawaii Pacific
University, and a Masters Degree in Media Management
from Columbia College Chicago. She currently divides her
time between the United States, and Sweden. She is fluent in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, and conversational in Spanish, French, and German.
Caroline is a member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) and currently serves as Director of Technology & Communications for the Chicago chapter. She is also a member of the National Genealogical Society, the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO), the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and all of their respective Chicago chapters. Caroline was also a member of the Association of Personal Historians (APH) until their dissolution in 2017.
