Almost always includes:
Names, dates and places of people and life events in a particular family or locality
A variety of "facts" to be substantiated through research in primary sources
May also include:
Photographs of people, homes, businesses, churches, or other relevant locations
Pedigree, descendency, family group and other charts
Biographies of family or local community members
Family or local lore and historical highlights
Maps and other illustrations
|
Family History Library Catalog
www.familysearch.org
Library of Congress
lcweb.loc.gov
National Genealogical Society
Historical and genealogical societies
Surname, ethnic and other specialized organizations
Librarians' database (ask yours to search for you)
Online resources (see the next table for more details)
(Note: Be sure to make use of Interlibrary loan programs)
|
Go to the most likely repositories and search by surname or place name
Review your "finds" by checking the citations for indications of accuracy and completeness (e.g., quantity, quality, appropriateness, etc.)
If undocumented or seemingly a work of wishful thinking, proceed at your own peril! Consider looking for other secondary sources or starting from scratch
If early indications are good, spot check some alleged facts by examining the original sources; also ask others about their experience with the record
If it appears to be reliably researched, identify the relevant facts for your search and go to the original sources for verification
|
