http://www.ancestry.com/dailynews/10_13_99.htm#3
by Roseann Hogan, Ph.D.
"So, there's an index to these marriage records, huh?" Was I
prepared for my first genealogical research trip to the archives, or what?
Twenty years of
genealogical research have taught me a great deal-about myself,
history, perseverance, organization, the temperaments of public servants,
and, not
incidentally, how to better manage long-term research projects. In
this article, I will outline half of my Top Ten Tips that I've learned
over
the past two decades
(the other half will follow in my next column), and I hope the
tips
will be helpful to others. Extending the logic here is not
flattering-my
twenty years translate into
only ten maxims? I must be a slow learner.
1. DOCUMENTATION
Most important, no matter how tedious this seems document all
research efforts thoroughly. If there were ten commandants of research,
the
first nine would be
document, document, document. All researchers know this worn-out
piece of advice and feel appropriately guilty when they don't heed it. But
what I'd like to
stress is that it is as important to document sources you check in
which you did not find relevant information as it is to document those in
which you did. In
summary, all efforts should be recorded, including what I call
"null
findings." Think about it: do you really want to spend precious
research
time looking through
records where you have (a) already searched, and (b) found nothing
at all the first time? This would put you in the position of re-examining
your least productive
sources.
So, how do you document all this work? The research calendar is
the
best way, of course. Use one of the commercially available forms, or
make
one of your
own that you will actually use. I have made up my own form which
works well. It shows the date and place of research in one corner, as well
as columns for
numbers and location information that would allow me to easily
relocate the document should I need to look at it again. This information
includes the call
numbers, microfilm numbers, original courthouse location box
numbers, etc. I prepare this form before I arrive at the library, while I
am
reviewing my notes, and
once I arrive at the archives, with my priorities in my hand, I
simply add the call numbers, and I'm on my way to the film readers.
For individual document locations, be sure to indicate the page or
frame number, even if the pages are not numbered. I always include some
notes to myself
about where I found a record, even if it is only a hurried "this
was
about halfway to the end of the film" kind of note. Some
machines have
tick
marks showing the
depth of the film at certain points; these can be used as rough
indicators. Indicating the condition of the records-whether they are
legible
or not-helps you recall
later how the records looked, as well as helping you evaluate
whether that record really did say such-and-such if the film was not
clear.
What I didn't realize when I started out was that genealogy is
never
done, and research is a repetitive process. One must record what
names are
searched.
Now, we all know that we should check variant spellings of the
names
searched. But I find it is important for me to record not only
spellings
checked, but also
what surnames and given names I checked, and how much I knew about
the family at the time I did the research. I sometimes wish, when looking
at
research
done a year or more ago, that I had attached to my research
calendar
the family chart or group sheet as I knew it at the time.
The bottom line here is not to trust anything to memory, thinking
you'll remember; you won't. I promise. And besides, other researchers will
follow you who will
need to know what was done before.
2. DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE, SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH STRATEGY
Organize your work, perhaps using the chronological tool discussed
in an earlier column [see "The Chronology: Keeping it All Together,"
Ancestry, March/April
1997, p. 22]. Then use a scientific and systematic approach to
tackle what needs to be done, including approaching new research problems
and eliminating
dead ends and puzzles.
For each research problem, list the possible sources-primary and
secondary-that might be helpful. Cast your net widely. Then use this
inventory to develop your
strategy. What would be the most likely record to solve your
problem? I limit my first research attempts to the easy-to-search records,
then move progressively
through the harder-to-use documents and documents that are less
relevant. The multitude of publications available, combined with our
natural
curiosity, makes it
easy to become sidetracked at the library, so a listing of my
research plan each day is essential for me-it keeps me on my task and
confident that I am using my
time well.
When I have searched the basic records and have not satisfied my
need to know or have found nothing, I take a step back. I build a
narrative
based on what I
know and don't know about the family. I identify and develop
hypotheses about relationships and families, then set my research
priorities
to prove or disprove
my ideas. I find I am more motivated and focused in my research if
I
have a good idea of who I am looking for. Of course I'm not
always right,
and I work hard to
maintain my objectivity, but it gives me a goal and an organized
plan of action. Let me reiterate here-possibly the worst thing any of us
do
is to neglect the null
findings when evaluating what has been done already and what needs
to be done.
As far as organization is concerned, I have developed a reference
notebook for each of the major libraries I use. In it I include numbers of
works I frequently use
and notes on what I searched in the past, in addition to my
research
calendar. This saves an enormous amount of time.
3. SYNTHESIZE AND INTEGRATE FINDINGS
Once you arrive home, write down any ideas that occur to you and
store the information in a single place. The place can be a simple family
form/group sheet or
a computer program. I use the aforementioned chronology, which
includes documented events as well as hypothesized dates, with complete
documentation of
my results. I find my best work is done as soon as possible after
I
leave the library.
Making myself summarize the findings for the day or for each
source
checked forces me into an analytical frame of mind. I like to think
about
the research in at
least two modes: the data-collection mode at the library, and the
analytical mode afterwards. When my family politely asks, "Well, did you
find anything today?" I
usually say I don't know yet. And unless I made an astonishing
finding or found an entirely new family, that's exactly true. You must
take
time to take the facts and
turn them into information.
4. QUESTION AUTHORITY AND TRUST NO ONE
This is an old rule and certainly not one I originated. But it is
important to keep in mind. Never make assumptions in determining your
research strategy. We all
know we cannot accept family stories uncritically, although they
are
wonderful hypotheses about the family. We view them as helpful,
albeit
sometimes
unreliable, clues. Read as much history and local history as you
can. Don't depend on genealogical books, or on folk tales from the family.
Don't even assume
that official documents are accurate. Here are some examples from
my
personal experience.
It was not until I was working on an African American family in
central Kentucky that I realized there were indeed many, not just a few,
black marriages recorded
in the early 1800s. This was something that I thought did not
happen
due to the legal status of African Americans at the time. So now,
whenever
I
use these
records, I chuckle to myself, wondering how many white families
have
erroneously included these black names in their histories. Of course,
the
equally
unfortunate possibility is that these families indeed have black
heritage that they do not realize they have.
A friend of mine encountered a death certificate in some research
he
was doing (see above). The document indicated the parents of the
deceased,
including
the mother's maiden name, listed as Mary Field. Great, he thought,
I
have the parents' names now, right? Wrong. The father's name
was correct;
the mother's
name was correct in part, but he read it wrong. It turns out the
name listed was only her surname; the mother's actual name was Elizabeth
Merryfield. How did
this get resolved? My friend started reading about the area and
noticed the surname Merryfield. When he pursued this line, he found what
he
was looking for.
5. PUT YOUR FAMILY IN THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
Another important lesson, especially in difficult-to-solve
problems,
is to learn about the family's background. Learn everything you
can and
search for as many
documents as you think exist, for verification of information you
have already found, or for different perspectives.
A mistake I see genealogists making is not thinking about the
entire
family when conducting research. For example, one researcher
dolefully
told
me that his
ancestor died before 1911, when Kentucky's civil registration had
begun, so he would not be able to identify this ancestor's parents. "And,"
he went on,
"great-aunt Bessie doesn't remember..."
I interrupted him at this point. "You mean he had a sister with
children? The female line is just as related to the parents as the male
line." He hurriedly got up and
beat a path to the vital records, where he found the evidence that
he had sought for so long.
The social context and attitude can also influence what appears in
the official records. For example, my great-grandfather's death
certificate
says he was
married at the time of his death. Not so. He and his wife were
divorced in the 1920s, but because my Aunt Fanny was a strict Catholic,
she
didn't recognize the
civil divorce and reported him as married.
In the second part of this series, I will discuss the remaining
five
tips:
6. Make Each Document Work for You
7. Citizenship, or, The Golden Rule
8. Take a Multifaceted Approach to Genealogy
9. Never Stop Learning
10. The Virtue of Tenacity, or, The Truth is Out There
6. MAKE EACH DOCUMENT WORK FOR YOU. It is critically important that each
document be examined closely. Record all details on a document, every
scratching, regardless of whether they make sense or have any significance
at this point in your research. In her article in the March/April 1998
issue of Ancestry, Elizabeth Shown Mills indicates that there is often no
single document that proves parentage. The researcher must build a case
with reliable information from a variety of clues found in a multitude of
sources and documents. A fact that makes no sense now may turn out to be a
vital clue later.
For example, a letter in a collection of papers collected in the 1920s by
a
local attorney indicated that a member of my Irish family came to
Kentucky
in the 1860s. This confirmed what I had discovered thus far. However, the
writer went on to note that this family moved to Indiana for a time on an
"airline contract." This made no sense to me, but I copied everything
down,
thinking that it was an interesting phrase. I wondered what this
Irish
immigrant family had had to do with airplanes. They were stone masons,
and,
like so many other Irish folk, worked on roads and on the railroads.
It
was
not until years later that I discovered there was a railroad short
line in
Indiana, on which my great-grandfather had been the foreman. This line was
called the Air Line, because the new structure was supposed to be such a
smooth ride that it would be "like riding on air."
The other way for a researcher to make documents work is to view each one
as a clue, a link to another set of documents. Source documents should
multiply like rabbits. Here's another example: A death certificate of my
great-grandfather indicated that there was an inquest at the time of his
death, since he had been struck by a