where to go when the going gets tough

Katie Quick Derbykatiederby@gmail.com

WHERE TO GO WHEN THE GOING

GETS TOUGH

Make a Timeline• List an individual and all their vital information, with date and locations•Fill in with every source that confirms a residence•Include births of children and siblings with place, and deaths of spouses•Printable forms available online

Analyze Timeline•Look for gaps•Identify sources that could fill in the gaps•Look for things that look “off”

Keep a Research Log•Forms available online or use spread sheet software•Record NIL searches•Note exactly what you looked for; people, spelling variations, locations•Note if the database is being added to so you can remember to go back again in the future.

Define The Problem•What you would like to know•Why it is necessary to move on in the research of that line•Break it down into smallest questions possible to define the “real” problem

Form a Hypothesis or Two•If the “whys” don’t lead to something cut and dry, try guessing.•Make them plausible and provable.•Try to prove your guess right•If you can’t prove it right can you prove it wrong?

Look At What You Already Have•Go over all your research and make sure you didn’t leave out anything obvious.•Scrub the documents•Consider expanding completed searches with alternate locations, spelling variations, or people.

ID Helpful Records and Sources•See if they exist: FHL Catalog, Research Guide, FS Research Wiki, networking, local libraries and collections, societies.•Think of alternate groups that might have the record you are looking for. Relatives, societies, alumni groups, unions, newspaper archives

Follow Everyone•No trail is cold until every name has been followed in every document, especially land and estate records•Follow siblings and children, then the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Search for individual in the records of every new location and look for them in the background of documents for relatives.

Review the History•Be familiar with the national history that would have affected your individual. Wars, famines, depressions etc.•Study the local history for the known locations

Follow the Land•Use Google Maps and look for historical maps•Grantor/Grantee indexes for deeds•Look for geographical clues•Wording clues in deeds

Look for Clues in Wills and Estate Records

•Who’s missing?•Who are the executors and witnesses?•What can the types of inheritances say about relationships and circumstances?

Think About Motivation•Education•Opportunity•Economics•Marrige/ Divorce•Death of family member especially spouse or parent•Illness•Ask yourself what you would do if…..

Build a Preponderance of Evidence•Use circumstantial evidence to build a case for an assumption or hypothesis.•The further away from a primary level source you have, the more sources you need as evidence.•Eliminate the alternate possibilities

Post Queries•GenForum•Local society newsletters and websites•Online Tree Databases•FamilySearch

Personal Records•Journals•Family Bibles

Educate Yourself•Articles and videos•Online courses•Conferences•Books•Degrees and Certificates

katiederby@gmail.com

KATIE QUICK DERBY