Have you reached a frustrating brick wall in your family history research? Are you unsure what you should do next? Too many people fail to make the progress they hope for in their search for information because they fail to do some basic planning. By following just a few organizational steps, you will find your research efforts becoming more productive than they ever were before. By answering some very simple questions, you will find your quest for your family's history becoming more successful.
Every family history seeker should keep a research notebook. At the least this notebook should be a place where you record the information you wish to get, and the ways you hope to get it. One good method is to have multiple sheets of paper with the following six questions written. Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? These simple questions can be the key to knocking down those stubborn brick walls.
WHO? Many family history researchers could remove significant obstacles if they would just narrow the focus of their research a bit. Too many of us sit down at the computer and decide to research an entire family line at once. Of course, starting a family history is exciting, and we often want to get as much information as possible immediately. But if you want accuracy and completeness, you'll need to slow down and create a plan. The first step is to take out your pedigree charts and look them over. Is there a particular ancestor that you're stuck on? Someone who remains a bit of a mystery? Or someone you think you know something about, but have little documentation for? (If you have enough information on everybody already, then maybe you should move on to a new hobby!!) Well, there you go. That's the first step. Simple. Write this person's name next to the question, "Who?"
WHAT? The next step is to ask yourself, What do I need to know? What documentation do I hope to find? If you don't know the birthplace of this person, write that down. If you need a death certificate, write this down as well. Perhaps you would like more information about your ancestor's military experiences. There are so many pieces of information we can hope to find on our ancestors. Write down everything you are curious about.
WHERE? Where are you most likely going to find this information? Your best tool at this stage of the game is the internet. No, you probably aren't going to find all of the actual information and documentation that you need, but you can most likely find resources that will point you in the direction you need to go. Some of the best places to go when searching for resource information are the various USGenWeb sites. (http://www.usgenweb.com). These numerous state and county web sites usually have the names and contact information on resources available concerning specific geographical locations and their former inhabitants.
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