Genoom Blog

We wanted to find out what traits and personal qualities are important to have success in genealogy, so we posed this question to a few reputable genealogists who would know best. Whether you’re just starting out or already have some experience in genealogical research, here are some qualities worth thinking about to help bring out your inner genealogist…

What the Experts Say:

Megan Smolenyak (@megansmolenyak)
“Above all, curiosity!  That and persistence.  There’s almost always a way around those inevitable brick walls if you’re stubborn enough!  Also doesn’t hurt if you’re of a puzzle-solving mindset.  The real fun begins once you get past name-collecting mode.”

Miriam Midkiff (@Kidmiff)
“It is important to learn about the various genealogy resources, be they vital records, court records, or deeds. Learn why these resources are helpful and what can be gleaned from them genealogically, by reading up on them, taking classes, or attending genealogical society meetings.  Learn where to access these resources, too.  Are they microfilmed?  Are they online?  Do you have to visit a courthouse, archive, library, or other repository to access them?  Remember that not all resources are online, and many never will be! Cite your sources so when conflicting information comes up, you can determine which is more likely to be accurate by analyzing the source of that information. Finally, understand the social, religious, and political history of the times and locations in which your ancestors lived. I recommend reading Joy Hakim’s “The History of U.S.” as a great start to understanding American history.”

Leland Meitzler (@lemetizler)
“I believe that it’s important that anyone involved in exploring family history have the ability to analyze data, extract even the smallest of clues and locate additional data – leading to interesting and useful family history. These are usually learned traits, but I’ve met folks who just seemed to have it in their genes…

It’s good to have a “never give up” attitude, but it’s also important to know when to back off, and let the problem rest for a bit. A brick wall today may be successfully dealt with by letting time go by, allowing additional resources to surface. This has certainly been the case as the Internet has grown.”

Randy Seaver (@RJSeaver)
* A general knowledge of world history, and a specialized knowledge of the events and key persons that created national and local history in the times and places that our ancestors lived.  Governmental units, migration paths, legal issues, settlement patterns, social folkways and norms, etc. are all part of this history challenge.

* Experience in learning and using research techniques to perform genealogy and family history research in both traditional (libraries, archives, courthouses, cemeteries, etc.) and online (websites, databases, CDROMs, software, etc.) resources, plus the knowledge of how different record types (e.g., family papers, vital records, military, census, land, probate, newspaper, cemetery, directories, and many others) can be used.

* Conduct of a reasonably extensive search for all records pertaining to a person and his/her extended family and associates using cluster genealogy techniques.

* The personal discipline to cite record sources consistently in appropriate citation formats, for all records obtained.

* The critical thinking ability to analyze research needs, to determine where records might be found, to use the found genealogy records correctly, and to draw objective conclusions about relationships, names, places, and dates.

* An organizational system that provides ready access to all gathered research material – books, periodicals, papers, documents, images, etc.

* A network of like-minded researchers that can provide advice, encouragement and constructive criticism on seemingly unsolvable research problems.  This may be an online study group, a genealogy society small group, or an extensive mail correspondence.

* Sharing research knowledge and techniques with other interested parties through books, magazine articles, blogs, websites, society meetings, presentations, etc.

* This knowledge and experience is not gained overnight, or even in a year or two.  Most people learn these habits and skills over many years and gradually become more effective and successful.  There is no substitute for hard work and studying in genealogy research!

………….

What other traits or characteristics would you add?

This is a guest post by Lee Everton from Everton´s Genealogical Helper, a magazine dedicated to family history and genealogy topics.

Are you a budding genealogist? Or, do you want to just add a couple of your relatives to your online family tree? Whichever the case, there are some basic rules to follow which will help you keep track of anyone in your family. Five rules to remember when writing down your information, or adding to Genoom follow.

Rule #1 – Enter the family name(surname) in capital letters. This allows a reader to quickly know what name they are looking at. For example, if you see Lee EVERTON, or EVERTON Lee, you will know that “EVERTON” is the family name.

Rule #2 - When including the name of a female ancestor, always use their maiden name. If you always do this when you are entering new individuals on your family tree, you will notice that the family lines become easier to follow. For example, my family name is “Everton”, the name of my father. However, my mothers’ maiden name is “Mathews”, which is the family name of her father. This is the name that I would include on my family history records.

Rule #3 - Dates are written in the format, “Day, Month, Year.” An example is 12 December 2008. To avoid confusion when you are writing the dates, you should spell out the month and include all four digits of the year.

Rule #4 - Keep documentation on your information. For a death date, it might be as simple as “I saw the gravestone at the Springfield, Illinois city cemetery with these dates. I was there on 8 August 2008.” If it was a date for your brothers’ wedding, the notation might be, “I have a picture with the date on the bottom of the picture.” You do this so that others can follow and verify where you discovered the information.

Rule #5 – Try to keep any stories that you have heard about a relative with that individual. It might be a simple story about your mother and how she learned to ride a bike with her head. (Maybe, she was the one who invented the bicycle helmet.) These stories are what brings people in your family tree to life. With these stories, you will begin to see family traits that are passed from one generation to the next. You might even have one of the “Hmmm” moments when you realize that your quirky way of holding your mouth when you laugh is just like your great great grandpa.

Every issue of Everton’s Genealogical Helper magazine provides you with great insight to doing little things for your family history. Also, included in every issue is current information on websites, CD-ROMs for genealogy, information on various countries (Germany, Sweden, England, Canada, Ireland, etc.).

As a member of the Genoom family, you have taken one step in starting your family tree. Now, as you go along, discover other simple things you can do in the pages of Everton’s Genealogical Helper.

To help you get started, when you subscribe to our print magazine, we are going to give you a FREE poster-size Picture Family Tree where you can add your own family pictures and display on your wall. This is a great way to show off your family. We will also include a poster-size 7 Generation Family Tree to match the picture family tree that we are sending to you when you subscribe.

To receive one of these with your order, simply follow the appropriate link:

United States
www.strictlyrockymountain.com/store/product_view.php?p=genoom1

International
www.strictlyrockymountain.com/store/product_view.php?p=genoom2

As an additional bonus when you subscribe, you will receive complimentary access to Everton’s Genealogical Helper online edition. This gives you access to the current issue and the archive of past issues.