Family Tree Research TipsPosted by free genealogy on September 12th, 2009

Top 7 Tips to Research Your Family Tree

Do you want to trace your Ancestors?

Don’t know how to begin?

Need some Family Tree Research tips?

We understand that you may wish to research your ancestors yourself rather then let someone else do it for you. If this is you and you don’t know where to begin why not use our 7 useful free family tree research tips to get you started.

1) Start with who and what you already know

Talk to you relations. Some may share your enthusiasm for researching and tell you everything they know and others will be very reluctant to give you even the smallest detail. Don’t push them; you don’t want to upset your nearest and dearest. Ask for birth, marriage & death dates, names of schools, workplaces, previous address’s and their own recollection of family life. Write down or record (with a Dictaphone but ask your interviewees permission first) your findings and ask for copies of birth, marriage & death certificates, family photos, military records, wills etc. Please remember to return the originals when you have copied them.

2) Be Organised

If you have carried out step one you may already have amassed a vast amount of information and paperwork about your family. Keep it safe!

Every body works differently but it is important to be organised from the start of your research, things can soon get out of hand.

To start with a simple A4 lever arch binder with plastic inserts and an A to Z divider system is ideal. Filing information under surname and then forename is usually sufficient, You will need to keep certificates and photos safe as well, an A4 box file is ideal for this.

3) Work Backwards

Probably the most important piece of advice I can give you. Always work backwards. Start with yourself as the base of your family tree and work backwards generation by generation (Parents, Grandparents, and Great-grandparents etc).

4) Decide on a research path

It may be prudent to make a decision early in your research which ancestral line you wish to concentrate your research on first. It is quite easy to be overwhelmed by the information you are finding and get lost within your family tree.

5) Keep an open mind

The information you obtained from your relatives in step 1 of our 7 free useful family tree research tips will play a large role in your initial research. How much of what you have been told can be relied upon? Keep an open mind! The process of time can often muddle the true facts and what your relative believed happened may be slightly or greatly different to the truth. Don’t bear any malice; enjoy uncovering your ancestor’s lives.

6) Join a family history society

Why? I hear you ask. Family history societies are an invaluable source of information, they often run classes in the basics of family tree research, you get to meet people with the same motivation as yourself and you can share your information with others. The full list of family history societies can be found at the Federation of Family History Society’s website:

http://www.ffhs.org.uk/members2/alpha.php

Why not join the one in the area your ancestors originated from. (Fees vary)

7) Make the most of technological advancement

Using a computer to record and organise your family tree research is not compulsory, after all pen and paper have been around a lot longer, but it does make researching your family tree a lot easier.

There are numerous family tree related computer programs which will allow you to store, copy, print and share your family tree data, available on the high street.

More and more family tree resources such as parish records and census data are becoming readily available on CD or DVD format which will allow you to carry out your research in the comfort of your own home. This isn’t as exciting as visiting an archive office but may help you along the way.

The internet can also prove useful in your research as there are numerous websites to assist you. (More information will be available in our in-depth family tree research e-book coming soon)