Any person who has done even the smallest amount of family history research knows how fascinating, yet frustrating, it can be. Just when you think you’ve found the clue to the identity of your “missing” ancestor, you hit the proverbial brick wall. Where do you turn next? It would be a mistake for any family history researcher today to ignore the many benefits the Internet offers. From “how-to’s” to detailed census data, there are sites which can prove helpful to most everyone.
ONLINE TUTORIALS If you have not done any, or very little, research, several sites offer online tutorials which can start you off in the right direction. If you take the time to go through one or all of these groups of lessons and instructions, you will save yourself lots of grief and heartache later.
VITAL RECORDS One of the first things you will do is to research vital records. Here are places which will assist you in either finding them online, or in requesting them from various locales.
- Family Search Research Guidance: Where to Write for Vital Records
- Vital Records Information for the United States
- Where to Find Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce Records
MAILING LISTS Whether you are an inexperienced novice or a seasoned genealogist, everyone will find the mailing lists available through Rootsweb useful. There are mailing lists concerning surnames, localities, ethnicity, you name it. Sign up for these for free.
FORUMS You may also wish to participate in an online forum. One of the rules in family history research is to not reinvent the wheel. You will often find that someone else is out there who may have the information you desire, or can lead you in a new direction, or just may be a long lost cousin. Conversely, you may have information to share with others as well.
FREE FORMS When performing your research, you will need forms to assist you in organizing the information you gather. These are available for purchase, but why not download them for free on the Internet?
Finally, don’t miss the US GenWeb Site. It serves as a gateway to hundreds of state and county sites throughout the country. It is amazing the amount of work that volunteers have put into these sites. There is a great deal of information just waiting there for you to discover.
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