Facts and Tips – Beginning Your Research

  1. Start with vital statistics about yourself and your direct ancestors: birth, marriage, death and burial dates and places, occupation, military service, etc.
  2. Expand your knowledge: add spouses and children of earlier generations.
  3. Document your findings. Family Group Sheets are a concise way to record the basic information for a couple and all of their children. Be aware of privacy issues to avoid identity theft when posting information on the web, especially for people who are still living. Some genealogy sites will not post information about living persons for public view. For your own records, however, you will want to include all information. Be sure to add source information for the facts listed on the group sheet. Download a Family Group Sheet form from the Forms tab on the sidebar.
  4. Create Ancestor Charts . The chart is a list of your direct ancestors with connecting lines: parents, grandparents, great-grandparents for multiple generations. Download an Ancestor Chart form from the Forms tab on the sidebar.
  5. Organize your work. The data and documents you gather will start to pile up. Be mindful to organize it so you can easily find it when needed. Start with file folders for each surname of your parents, then add files for surnames of their ancestors. Some genealogists use a color code for the maternal and paternal lines.
  6. Consider using genealogy software. Multiple software programs have been developed to aid genealogists in documenting their findings. There are also genealogy services, such as Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, and FindMyPast, that can provide this online for a fee.
  7. Evaluate the accuracy of your research. Determine how the source and the record for an event are connected to the event. For example a birth reported by a parent is most reliable because the person was probably aware of the circumstances at the time of the birth.
  8. Don’t forget to gather information from living relatives. Arrange for interviews before their memory fades if possible. Ask about family stories, traditions, and their live experiences as well as vital statistics. There are tips on the internet for “Family history interview questions.” Ask for permission to take photos or record the interview in advance.

Good sources to investigate:

  1. Family Bible. In the 1800s, most Bibles included a center section to record births, marriages, deaths, baptisms, confirmations. The information would be handwritten. Family Bibles were often handed down to descendants.
  2. Federal Census. Every 10 years beginning in 1790, the Federal Government took a population census. Until 1850 the census only listed the names of the head of household and the number of other people by gender and age. Starting in 1850 all household members were listed with place of birth (state or country). The 1870 census was the first to enumerate African Americans. The 1880 census includes the birth place of parents. Alas, most of the 1890 census was destroyed by fire. From 1900 forward, more information was gathered, such as date of birth, number of children born to a woman, and the date of immigration. The 1950 census became available in 2022. Every ten years another census becomes available to the public. Ancestry.com has all of the census records indexed along with original microfilm images. A particular census may have been transcribed by a local history and genealogy societies. Check the USGenWeb site for availability.
  3. State Census. Many states also conducted a census in between the federal census. The 1885 and 1895 state census can help fill in the blanks left by the destroyed 1890 federal census.
  4. Geographical areas. Knowing where ancestors lived is important for finding records. Each state is divided into counties, and in some states a county is divided into townships. The boundaries often shifted through the years. Consult the USGenWeb site for county and township maps.
  5. Archives and Libraries. There are numerous archives and libraries across the United States that hold records of interest to genealogists. The Mid-Continent Public Library Genealogy Center in Independence, MO is a valuable resource. See our Links to other archives.

Greater Kansas City Genealogy Society welcomes visitors to our program meetings. Many more resources and tips are available on this website for society members. Please consider joining us. We have many members willing to answer questions and provide tips from their research experiences.