ylynczg

The search for family roots can take you on an exciting journey of interesting discoveries. But as with any journey, a few precautions could ultimately determine if its a success or a failure.

Inevitably, your search for family information will lead you to search documents at the courthouse, cemetery, or some other place with tombs of old records. Make sure youre searching in the right place though, finding out which government most likely had jurisdiction when your family lived in the area. Keep in mind boundaries may have changed between then and now. Sometimes older records may have been transferred to state archives, local historical societies, or some other repository.

Do a little extra homework before you travel very far to look up records. It wouldnt be too great if you traveled all the way across the country to look up family records that were destroyed in a courthouse fire a hundred years ago.

Keep in mind too that old records are likely to have at least a minor error or two. In some cases there may be so many errors you wont be able to sort the wheat from the chaff. Books containing transcriptions (cemetery, census, etc.) could be missing vital information, be full of transcription errors (or subtle errors you may not recognize until youve chased a wild bunny trail), or they may have made assumptions leading to incorrect information.

Speaking of errors, always transcribe any document exactly as you found it written. If there are misspellings, copy them exactly. Making assumptions about proper spelling may actually lead you to finding the wrong information, or nothing at all. Any assumptions at all are likely to trip you up further down the line, so you would be wise to avoid making them.

Invest in a good quality magnifying glass while youre at it. This will save the strain on your eyes when youre searching a poorly lit archive and reading handwritten records from ages past.

To keep organized and avoid feeling overwhelmed, it is a good idea to limit your searches to a single surname, individual or family when youre just starting out. It may also help you to avoid missing important details due to sensory overload. Write down everything you find and begin to transfer it to a family pedigree or tree chart.

Dont forget family members. They can be a genealogists best friend, and may be the only source for stories and anecdotes which bring family history to life. Clues to family history could also be located on the backs of old photographs, postcards, letters and of course the good old family Bible.

Lydia Quinn writes for Productivus Directory, a free SEO friendly directory of high quality, handpicked websites. Productivus Directory features a completely unique category structure dedicated to helping users make their time online more productive. Visit us at: http://www.productivus.com