A research plan helps you think through the details of your genealogy quest. Think of it as a road map to guide your actions. Whether you're tracing your own lineage or someone else's, these five steps will help you meet your research goals.
Step 1: Establish your research objective.
Jot down what you hope to accomplish. Be specific. Your objective should include both long-term research goals and the short-term steps that will help you reach your overall objective. For example, a long-term goal might be to determine when and where your great grandmother was born. A short-term action might be to locate their family unit in the 1910 US census records to establish birth year and location.
Step 2: List known facts about your lineage.
Fill out a pedigree chart or family group sheet with as much information as you know about your ancestor’s family. Do your own research to confirm family stories. Reach out to other family members for additional information such as key names, dates, and locations. Consider conducting a family history interview with your oldest living relatives.
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Step 3: Form a hypothesis based on what you know.
Review the information you’ve gathered. Make some educated guesses. For example, if your great grandmother’s older and younger siblings were all born in Detroit, Michigan, it’s possible she was born there too.
Step 4: Identify useful sources and records.
Become familiar with records most likely to prove (or disprove) your hypothesis. Include both primary sources and secondary sources. Primary sources are records created at or near the time of an event, usually by a direct observer. They are generally preferable to secondary sources because they’re more likely to be accurate. Primary sources include vital records (birth, death and marriage), census records, or military records.
Step 5: Define steps for accessing and using records.
Some records are available online in free or fee-based services like Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org. Others might be available at your local library or through another record-keeping organization such as the U.S. National Archives or the Veterans Administration. You can find more research resources here.
Be efficient in your research. Keep a log of your research inquiries – your question or record request, the organization and contact information and the result – to avoid redundant efforts.
Tracing your lineage can be an adventure, but following a solid research plan will help you stay focused and make better use of your time and resources!
Tobias History Research is a premier provider of history research and archives management services. With 20+ years of professional experience, founder Vicki Tobias helps clients expertly discover their history and enthusiastically share their story. Learn more about her services.