From:
http://www.hispanicgenealogy.com/gettingstarted.htm
by Al Sosa
Phase One : Take Stock of What You Have
1) The Pedigree Chart
Start a pedigree chart. Start with yourself and list
all of your relatives as far back as you can go. Do
this for both your mother's and father's side of the
family. Try to list as much information as you can,
including birth and death dates, marriage dates,
baptisms, etc.
2) The Interview
Interview your relatives for any missing information.
Don't be too formal. Make it a social event and don't
go in there like a news paper reporter. Record
everything they tell you, even if it sounds exagerated
or hard to believe. Most family stories are based on
an element of truth. Don't be afraid to record the
family gossip as it can be useful to you later. Gossip
can provide you with clues when you get stuck.
3) Obtain Documents
Get copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses,
confirmations, baptisms, military discharge papers,
etc., from as many relatives as possible. These
documents contain lots of valuable information. For
instance, baptisms sometimes provide information on
the grandparents as well as the parents of a child.
They can provide the places of birth for other family
members as well.
4) Check The Work Of Others
Why duplicate someone else's work. Check the local
libraries to see if someone else is working on or has
worked on a genealogy of your surname or family. Check
the biographical and genealogical dictionaries for
entries with the surnames you are researching. Review
guides to books in print. Go to the Mormon Family
History Center nearest you and check their "Ancestral
File" for submitted genealogies.
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