Category: Beginner’s Guide

There are 6 main steps for starting your family history. 1. Gather information you already have. When starting on your family history, you need to start with yourself and work backwards.  The first step therefore is to gather together all the documents and information you already have.  For information on the types of documents you… Continue reading 6 steps to starting your family history

Once you have gone through the records you already have, it is time to start contacting family members for more information. In order to get better results, you should visit relatives in person. You should invest in a recording device, to tape the interview, so then you could just ask your questions, and let the… Continue reading Contact your relatives for more information

There are a number of genealogy programs available.  You have the option of using a program for a desktop or laptop computer, or an internet site.  You can even use more than one.  In my case, I have the following programs on my computer: Legacy 8 Deluxe Rootsmagic 7 Family tree maker 2012 And, as… Continue reading Decide on a family tree program

When you start your family history, the best place to start is with records you may already have.  The types of records that you can use include. Certificates – birth, baptism, death, and marriage certificates.  These are the best records for family history research, as they give first hand details of birth, death and marriage events. … Continue reading Types of records to use to begin your family history.

Generally, it is a good idea to keep paper copies of all your research, but there are a couple of reasons why you may decide to no longer keep printed copies of downloaded research and emails. 1.  A lack of space. As you accumulate information over the years, you may find that you no longer have enough space… Continue reading Whether you should keep paper copies of your research