Discovering Your Family History: Genealogy Research Do's and Don'ts

Genealogy research can be an incredibly rewarding journey of discovery, connecting you with your ancestors and uncovering stories that shaped your family's legacy. However, without the right approach, it's easy to fall into traps that can lead you astray or cause you to miss valuable information.

The key to successful genealogy research lies in maintaining a balance of enthusiasm and skepticism, hope and realism. As one experienced genealogist wisely noted: "Be realistic, be honest and keep an open-mind when doing your genealogy research. Respect the evidence as it is and do not fall into the trap of swaying things toward the direction you hope to go."

The Essential Do's of Genealogy Research

1. Start with Living Relatives

Your most valuable resources are often sitting right at your family dinner table. Living relatives possess irreplaceable firsthand knowledge and family stories that can't be found in any database.

How to Maximize Family Interviews:

• Prepare thoughtful questions beforehand, but allow conversations to flow naturally
• Record interviews (with permission) to capture not just facts but the emotion and personality behind the stories
• Ask for clarification on names, dates, and relationships—memory can be fuzzy on details
• Request family documents like old letters, certificates, or photo albums they might have stored away

When Distance is a Factor:

• Send a memory book with photos and questions for them to fill out at their own pace
• Schedule video calls to maintain personal connection while gathering information
• Create family questionnaires that can be completed and returned by mail or email

Types of Information to Gather:

• Family stories and traditions
• Full names (including maiden names and nicknames)
• Birth, marriage, and death dates and locations
• Immigration stories and countries of origin
• Military service and occupations
• Family feuds, scandals, or interesting characters

2. Focus on Specific Details, Not Generic Information

The internet is filled with generic surname histories and coat of arms sites that make broad claims about families sharing the same last name. These are almost always misleading and rarely apply to your specific family line.

Research Strategies:

• Build your tree one person at a time rather than accepting entire pre-built family trees
• Focus on unique family characteristics like unusual occupations, specific locations, or distinctive names
• Verify each connection with primary sources before adding it to your tree
• Look for the story behind the facts—why did your ancestor move to a particular town? What circumstances led to their career choice?

Red Flags to Avoid:

• Websites selling "Your Family History" based solely on your surname
• Generic coat of arms that supposedly belongs to everyone with your last name
• Family trees that seem too good to be true (connecting to royalty or famous figures without solid evidence)
• Information that lacks specific sources or documentation

3. Document Everything Meticulously

Good genealogy research requires treating yourself like a detective building a case. Every piece of evidence must be carefully documented and sourced.

Essential Documentation Practices:

• Record the source of every piece of information, including website URLs, book titles, archive locations, and interview dates
• Note when you accessed the information—online records can change or become unavailable
• Assess source reliability—primary sources (original documents) are more reliable than secondary sources (family trees created by others)
• Create research logs tracking what you've searched, when you searched it, and what you found (or didn't find)

Documentation Template:

Source: 1920 U.S. Federal Census
Location: Ancestry.com
Date Accessed: March 15, 2024
Reliability: Primary source
Information Found: John Smith, age 32, born Illinois, occupation farmer
Notes: Living with wife Mary (28) and children Robert (8) and Sarah (6)

The Critical Don'ts of Genealogy Research

1. Don't Accept Everything at Face Value

Even official-looking documents can contain errors, and online family trees are often riddled with mistakes that get copied and spread.

Healthy Skepticism Practices:

• Cross-reference information across multiple sources before accepting it as fact
• Question inconsistencies rather than ignoring them—they often lead to important discoveries
• Verify online family trees with original sources rather than simply copying information
• Remember that even official documents can be wrong—census records contain numerous errors in names, ages, and birthplaces

Common Sources of Error:

• Census takers who misheard or misunderstood information
• Family members who didn't know exact dates or deliberately provided false information
• Clerical errors in official record-keeping
• Translation errors in immigration documents
• Later researchers who made assumptions or copying mistakes

2. Avoid Fantasy Genealogy

It's natural to hope your family connects to someone famous or historically significant, but wishful thinking can derail legitimate research.

Reality Check Strategies:

• Start from what you know (yourself, parents, grandparents) and work backward chronologically
• Focus on your actual ancestors rather than trying to connect to famous figures
• Appreciate ordinary people—most family histories are filled with farmers, laborers, and shopkeepers whose stories are just as valuable
• Question dramatic claims about royal ancestry or connections to historical figures

The Truth About "Royal" Connections: While some families do have noble ancestry, the vast majority of Americans descend from common people who immigrated seeking better opportunities. The stories of these ordinary ancestors—their struggles, triumphs, and daily lives—are often more interesting and meaningful than any fictional royal connection.

3. Don't Limit Yourself to One Spelling

Names, especially surnames, were fluid throughout history and could change dramatically based on various factors.

Spelling Variation Strategies:

• Use wildcard searches (like John Sm*th) to catch variations
• Consider phonetic spellings—how might a name sound to someone who spoke a different language?
• Research cultural naming patterns for your ancestral countries
• Check both Americanized and original versions of names

Reasons Names Changed:

• Immigration processing: Ellis Island clerks often simplified or changed names
• Cultural assimilation: Families might deliberately alter names to fit in better
• Literacy issues: People who couldn't read or write might not have had a standardized spelling
• Regional dialects: Different pronunciations led to different spellings
• Clerical errors: Record-keepers often guessed at spellings

Advanced Research Strategies

Using Multiple Record Types

Don't rely solely on one type of record. Each document type provides different pieces of the puzzle:

Primary Sources:

• Birth, marriage, and death certificates
• Census records
• Immigration documents
• Military records
• Land deeds and wills

Secondary Sources:

• Obituaries and newspaper articles
• City directories
• School records
• Church records
• Cemetery inscriptions

Building a Network

Connect with other researchers who share your family lines:

• Join genealogy societies for your ancestral regions
• Participate in online forums and DNA matching services
• Attend genealogy conferences and workshops
• Collaborate with distant cousins who may have different pieces of the family puzzle

Embracing DNA Technology

Modern DNA testing can provide valuable insights:

• Confirm family connections you've established through traditional research
• Break through brick walls where paper trails end
• Discover unknown relatives who share your ancestry
• Verify or disprove family stories about ethnic background

When You Hit Brick Walls

Every genealogist encounters dead ends. Here's how to approach them:

Systematic Approaches:

• Research the siblings of your direct ancestors—they might have left better records
• Study the community where your ancestors lived to understand historical context
• Look for indirect evidence like land records, tax records, or court documents
• Consider alternative spellings, nicknames, or middle names used as first names

Taking Breaks: Sometimes stepping away from a problem and returning later with fresh eyes can lead to breakthroughs. New records are constantly being digitized and made available online.

The Joy of Discovery

Remember that genealogy research isn't just about famous ancestors or dramatic stories. The real treasure lies in understanding the ordinary people who came before you:

• The farmer who saved enough money to bring his family to America
• The young woman who raised eight children after her husband died
• The immigrant who learned a new language and started a business
• The family that survived wars, economic hardships, and social upheaval

These are the stories that truly matter—stories of resilience, hope, and determination that live on in your family's DNA.

Final Thoughts

Successful genealogy research requires patience, persistence, and intellectual honesty. While it's exciting to uncover family connections and stories, the goal should always be to discover the truth about your family's history, not to prove a predetermined narrative.

Embrace the journey of discovery, celebrate the ordinary heroes in your family tree, and remember that every family has a unique and valuable story worth preserving. Your ancestors' lives matter not because of who they might have known, but because of who they were and the legacy they passed down to you.