Using Technology Effectively to
Solve Research Problems
Karen Clifford, AG, Instructor
Monterey (CA) Peninsula College & Salt Lake (UT) Community
College
www.MPC.edu www.SLCC.edu karenmpc@aol.com
Technology Used in this Presentation
Genealogy computer programs (GCP)
Animated mapping program
Printed pedigree charts
Printed family group records with citations
FamilySearch.org (FS) Research Wiki =
familysearch.org>Learn>Wiki> [enter
country, state, region, or subject]
Research planner – Legacy
Historic time lines – RootsMagic,
Record sources – Ancestry.com, Legacy,
GenSmarts, FamilySearch>Records or
Learn or Catalog options
Methodologies – FamilySearch>Learn>
Research Courses or Get Started
Online genealogy college courses
Strategic priorities – FamilySearch; online
genealogy courses such as
http://www.slcccontinuinged.com/genealogy
Collaboration – Ancestral Quest, Legacy,
FamilySearch>Trees
Mega search engines to search multiple
engines more effectively
Historic Maps Google’s University Search
Adobe Photoshop
STEP ONE (Focus): Make Adequate
Preparations Before Going Online.
Analyze what is already known about the
person. This is best done if three generations
are known: the generation prior to the one
being sought (his/her children); and the
grandchildren. A good genealogy software
program makes this step relatively painless.
Three generations can best be seen by
placing the pedigree chart for the ancestor
(with those three generations) beside you as
you prepare to do your research plan.
The details for those three generations are
best seen by printing out the three family
group records that correspond with the
pedigree so that details and sources for the
children, siblings, and other spouses can be
referred to easily.
Again the software can help you organize
the details chronologically by event and the
notes providing the sources already searched
with a transcript of the evidence found in
those sources on the family where you are
having difficulty.
Separate factual notes from hearsay notes.
(Hearsay notes mean those statements of fact
not substantiated by documents or primary
witnesses to events, or a combination of
circumstantial, secondary, and collateral
evidence.) Spelling of the names, localities,
occupations, etc., may only be clues from
the traditions that can be used. Write down
specifically what part of the hearsay
evidence is NOT yet proven.
Focus on the person’s complete identity—
not names and dates alone. Start with the
locality.
a. Often it is necessary to study every
location the people in those three generations lived to verify a starting point and
because clues to other locations not yet
searched could be provided.
Case Study: Levi Byron born 1810
Phillips, Franklin Co., Maine. Died same
place 1885. Student wants Levi’s father.
b. Levi’s occupation (farmer, militia, skills,
education, etc.)
c. The time period would have told
researcher ME was part of MA before 1820.
d. Social status – comes from comparing
land values, probate and association clues.
e. Religion – marriage and burial places
could provide religion.
STEP TWO (Questions): Learn About
the Records and Research Methodology
for the Locations and Time Periods
Utilize online research guidance sources
before performing original online research in
order to speed up your ability to analyze data
as it relates to the location and time period.
FamilySearch.org is a good place to start.
Click on the word “Learn” beside the
FamilySearch icon. Click “Research Wiki”
and type in the search field the state name
such as “Maine.” Scroll down to history,
maps, or other record sources, or Maine
FamilySearch Indexing to see what has been
indexed already for the state.
If you want to know in what order to do the
research (strategic priorities), repeat the
steps above but type in “Research Outlines.”
Click on the link to BYU Research Outlines
page. Scroll to the bottom part of the
Research Outlines page (pdf) and look for
the state you seek. Click on the state and a
.pdf version may be copied or saved to your
computer. Click the bookmark “Historical
Background” on the left tool bar for a
timeline of history for the state and area. The
strategic priorities take place when you click
on Statewide Indexes and Collections which
list those collections that match the timeline
surrounding your ancestor. Call numbers for
the resources at BYU are provided in the
outlines, but use the FamilySearch Catalog
to find films in the FHL.
Case Study: Suggestions based on guidance
and history to extend Levi Byron family.
a. Place localities & names (siblings,
children, spouses) into GCP. Include
identifiers like occupations, religion, etc.
b. Record most likely to tell relationship
between 1820-1830 for any Byron/Biron
would be Maine probate of Somerset Co.
c. Land records of Somerset Co., ME could
give evidence that father moved to, or was in
a nearby county if not found in probate.
Research Guidance also available from:
online college courses www.slcc.edu; some
genealogy software programs such as
Legacy; GenSmarts and FamilyTreeMaker
which works with what is found at
Ancestry.com.
STEP THREE (Obtain info): Use the
Internet to Understand the Locality
Understand that records are normally kept at
their place of original origin (where they
were created) unless moved for preservation
elsewhere. If they were moved, the original
place will usually tell you where they have
gone. By studying the locality, more sources
will be found. First determine the name of
the locality at the time of the event or the
sources sought may never be found. Turn
on the power of a thorough geographical
analysis of the locality.
Visualize the Problem: Intersect Family
and Local History. Another strategy is to
intersect and compare your family’s personal
chronology or time line once you have
entered the sources already found with the
locality and historical time lines as just
explained. Use search engines and finding
aids to find online historic time lines,
including:
·
www.genealogyplace.com
·
www.google.com
·
www.usgenweb.com
·
www.cyndislist.com
·
www.altavista.com
·
www.bing.com
Some meta-search engines search a group of
other search engines at one time such as the
first, second and last Internet sites above.
They also rank them according to their own
search property settings.
The methodology is to find the family in
historical records, and to locate:
a. Neighbors who arrived at same time
b. Local histories that might be mentioned
in finding aids or be online.
c. Church histories
d. Family histories of the direct-line and
associates/neighbors who could be collateral
family members using compiled public
pedigrees online.
e. Occupational histories from an area that
could lead to untapped sources.
f. New sources not known about previously.
Locate Finding Aids. The Internet can also
locate period maps online and directories to
cities when needed: uscitydirectories.com.
They can also help you locate geographical
clues that may have guided the family down
specific migration paths.
Period maps provide you with proper
locality terms that can be used in search
engines online, such as former town names,
river ways and military districts found in
indexed state, county, and regional records.
·
An automated mapping program
ANIMap can generate period maps.
·
Maps are available in public, state,
and historical libraries or using
Google search for maps from
University catalogs.
·
cyndislist.com includes specialty
areas such as historical railroads
http://www.rrhistorical.com/rrdata
·
With rapid, germane results to
queries, Google.com will convert
Italian, French, Spanish, German, or
Portuguese pages into English Maps.
STEP FOUR: Perform a Preliminary
Survey now that you have determined an
accurate location for the time period and
possible other spelling variations. The
purpose is to investigate what others have
gathered for you, before you start from
scratch! Apply your ancestor’s "Complete
Identity" e.g. full names, all places, all dates,
all associates, religious affiliation, social or
financial status, military service, and
occupations to search engines and compiled
surname databases. Use:
·
Genealogy.com Internet
FamilyFinder.
·
USGenWeb.org - Search by surname
·
rootsweb.com - including message
boards and blogs.
·
Ancestry.com - compiled records and
message boards.
·
mytrees.com - compiled records and
links to original records and citations
·
GenCircles.com
·
Myheritage.com
·
familytreemagazine.com/search
·
FamilySearch Trees
Also search state-wide electronic indices
watching for family concentrations to locate
your ancestor and his/her associates.
STEP FIVE (Discriminate between levels
of information and obtain expert 24/7
help): Study Original and Compiled
Records of the Area online.
Sometimes the source you seek is not online.
It might be vital enough that without that
information you are not able to proceed.
You were shown how to find source from
courthouses, archives, and vital record office
under STEP TWO above. See also links at
FamilySearch.org>LEARN> Research Wiki
to state wide vital record offices, archives,
and courthouses. Don’t let the lack of one
record far away stop your progress. Use
www.google.com or www.bing.com to find
more at these other repositories. More good
sources for individual identity facts:
·
www.Genealogy.com - Compiled
published records from Genealogical
Publishing Company, compiled
pedigrees from submissions years
ago to the site, and links to original
records.
·
www.USGenWeb.org - Many links
to original records online.
·
www.rootsweb.com - including
indexed tax records for Virginia that
may not be at the Family History
Library, cemetery records, personal
records.
·
www.Ancestry.com - links to all
types of original records
·
www.ProQuest.com - PERSI,
Newspaper Obituaries, Sanborn
Maps, and newer census indexes.
Heritage Quest Online includes over
25,000 every-name indexed books on
county and published histories, Rev
War records, and more.
·
www.FamilySearch.org - web links
to original sources world-wide
including state census records and
marriage records, Mexico census and
vital records, and hundreds of links
to records of other countries online.
·
www.genealogybank.com –
historical newspapers and territorial
data for the United states
·
www.newspaperArchives.com – for
copies of original more current
newspapers than genealogybank.
·
www.uscitydirectories.com guides
you to city directories nationwide
when you lose ancestors between
census records
·
Use the Website of each State
Library, Genealogical Society, and
Archives where your research could
be performed.
STEP SIX: Analyze, Evaluate, and
Record Your Findings
Associate collateral names through
marriage. Memories fail-make a list of:
·
Spelling variations.
·
Add surnames from children or
grandchildren's given names
·
Notice names of new localities not
searched before.
·
Keep detailed notes completed items.
·
Add new information into your
chronological time line
STEP SEVEN: Search Specialty Sites
Favorite sites for world-wide historical clues
·
fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html for
medieval history.
·
hyperhistory.com then go to
hyperhistoryonline
Locate original manuscripts by using the
Library of Congress finding aid the National
Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections
(NUCMC) online at www.loc.gov then type
nucmc at the search window. Scroll down to
learn more about the catalog (printed copies
available at large public and university
libraries. Topics to search can include water
courses for land descriptions, religion,
occupations, and any other identification
criteria in addition to surnames. Other
record repositories that might not be
mentioned in NUCMC can include:
·
Business archives
·
Educational archives
·
Religious archives
·
Military archives
·
Federal record archives
·
State & regional archives
Study online catalogs for state or regional
archives, genealogical societies, and ethnic
societies as suggested at specialty sites.