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What to Expect
Today, we find that a great quantity of genealogical information has been made readily
available in print, on CDs, and on the Internet. This flood of information is wonderful
and appeals to our desire to do research quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, this
plethora of published records has given the illusion to many beginning genealogists
that all records searching and lineage research merely involves going to a set of records,
looking at the index and then copying the document. Sometimes, this is the case. However,
most of the time it is not.
A great deal of lineage research involves laborious and detailed examination of
unindexed, illegible, molded, and otherwise difficult to read records (For example, I
spent several research sessions which altogether encompassed the span of 1.5 years,
searching 32 reels of unindexed court records for Orange Co., NY line by line, page by
page for a client's ancestral family). Sometimes the importance of these records is easily
grasped, yet other times the information in these records must be placed in historical or
legal context in order to be fully understood and appreciated. This is where a
professional genealogist can be of the most service to his/her client.
When a client sends a lineage research request to me, I:
- Analyze the data received. The first
thing that I do is examine the client's research goal to make certain that the goal is a
realistic one given the information in hand. Then, I thoroughly examine the results of any
previous research. This examination allows me to determine the reliability of the source
records upon which the family group sheets and pedigrees are based and ensures that no
research that I do for the client is repeated unnecessarily.
- Check on the availability of Records.
Based upon my analysis of the client's goal, I then check the Family History Library card
catalog searching for records that will assist in the fulfillment of the client's goal. If
the records are not available at the FHL, but are thought to be extant, I will correspond
with the library or archives holding the necessary documents in order to assess their
availability.
- Develop a research strategy. Taking into
consideration 1) the type of documents available and 2) the research goals of the client,
I then develop a research strategy that will compliment the two.
For example: Suppose a
client wants the birth record for her male Virginia ancestor born about 1791. I know from
experience that statewide Virginia birth registration did not begin until 1853, so a
"birth certificate" will not be available for her ancestor. Thus, alternate
sources are sought in the order of direct relevance to the client's goal. For instance,
church christenings, parish records, and bible records, if they existed for the area in
which her ancestor was born would be examined. If those records did not exist or were not
available, then census records would be examined. Census records after 1850 listed the
individual's name and age and state of birth. If the client wants to know the identity of
the parents for her ancestor, too, then VA personal property tax lists and probate records
could be examined for reference to her ancestor.
So, it is evident that developing a research strategy is a multifaceted
process - one that requires the professional genealogist to know which records to examine
and to understand the relevancy of the data held within each set of records.
- Search and evaluate the documents. After a research strategy has been developed, the available records are
searched and the results evaluated. The evaluation will determine whether or not the data
contained in the record(s) will provide the necessary data to fulfill the client's goals.
Oftentimes, a specialized knowledge of law and history (as in the case of probate and tax
records) will be necessary in order to fully understand the relevancy of data within a
document.
- Keep track of each source studied and label all documents. This is a vital and ongoing part of the research process. Upon
completion of the research project, the client should be able to examine the list of
source records and view labeled documents so that they might quickly visualize the scope
and reliability of the completed project. I keep a calendar which describes in full each
source studied, the author, editor, publication date, and the Family History Library call
number (see sample). Each document that is photocopied for your
perusal will be labeled with the same detailed source information.
- Summarize the research. Upon completion of the research session, a summary of the results will
be provided. This summary will include a description of the research process, the records
studied, and a brief analysis of the most important documents found.
- Provide suggestions for further research. No research project would be complete without a game plan for future
research. I will provide suggestions listing records that might be examined in any future
research sessions along with a brief explanation of the logic behind each of the
suggestions.
So, at the end of the research time allotted by the client, the
client should expect to see considerable progress made on his/her stated
goal. In other words, the client's goal may or may not have been met in the one research
session. Whatever the case may be, the client should see that there were several relevant
sources thoroughly examined and evaluated in the time he/she allotted.
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06 Apr 2009