A message came through about posting effective queries and I decided to do a bit of
editing and pass it along. Most folks are really good about this these days, but a
refresher is always helpful.
Those of us who are on mailing lists (which is all of us) get so many inquiries in our
mail boxes that it is hard to read them all. Most of us skim the 'subject line'
for inquiries relevant to our own research. We search for subjects that POP out at us.
When one does, those are the ones we carefully read for any connections. The rest... we
often delete without reading.
Here are some tips that might help your inquiry POP and get into the hands of those that
can really help you with your research.
1. BE SPECIFIC on the Subject Line. Put as much info as you can on the line and don't
speak in generalities. For example, if you're on the Smith mailing list and you post a
message with the subject "Smith family history" most people aren't going to
read it.
2. Abbreviate! Use terms like: Abt - about; Mg - Marriage; b-birth; d-death, etc. (Saves
space for more info)
3. Use the 2 letter abbreviation for the state instead of spelling the state name out.
(Saves space for more info)
4. When seeking info about more than one person, use more than one inquiry. Keep it Short
and Simple (that's the new KISS method!) Don't confuse the reader. Most people
won't take the time to decipher your inquiry trying to figure out what you are really
looking for. William Eller, Melba Kidd, Indiana. If you put this on the Eller board, you
might miss someone on the Kid bulletin board that can help you. Also, there are so many
William's, a date would be nice.
5. Don't be redundant. If you're on the Thompson list, you don't need to tell
people that the last name was Thompson, likewise if you're on the Tippecanoe County
list you don't need to give the county (though specifying the town would be helpful).
For example: Thompson List: "I want to talk to any Thompson" is redundant and
probably won't get read. Instead "Isaac 1798-1869 Montgomery Co., IN" would
be infinitely better, people know right away if the message is of interest to them and if
it is, they'll definitely be reading it.
6. When using a common name (William, Thomas, George, etc) use dates and places if
possible. It will narrow the search down and the readers will know exactly what your
looking for. (i.e. Thomas Thompson, b 1833, KY)
7. Put maiden names in parentheses. For example: Melba (Johnson) Kidd.
Another thing to remember is if you are replying to someone else's message, delete any
part of the reply that isn't relevant to your message. Don't reply and include the
ENTIRE digest volume in your message. This gets really confusing and makes the messages
infinitely longer and harder to read than it really needs to be.
People throughout the genealogy community have become really good at this in the last few
years, but doesn't hurt to remind ourselves from time to time!
Best of luck to all!