Getting Started

The five golden rules

1. Begin with known facts and work backwards – checking the validity of each new piece of information against an original record.

2.    Document your sources at each stage, whether that’s a person, or a piece of paper.

3.    Always keep a record, even if an avenue of research proves to be fruitless – it will stop you making the same mistake again at a later stage.

4.    Do your own research. Don’t assume that information supplied to you by another party is accurate, and always check the authenticity of information you find online.

5.    Take advantage of others' expertise. When you hit a brick wall, solicit the help of professional organisations, family history societies, specialist publications such as Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, and forums like our own.

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Comments

Realy Golden Rules

Fri, 2009-11-06 21:20

sureshatrs

Yes really you are correct, i am in half way of my searching, i had followed your first four methods in the beginning, but i did not use others expertise, later only i come to know this, then i just hire a professional genealogist from freelancer.com, all the beginners can use this idea, use the promotion code 'FAMILYTREE' to get extra benefits.

WDYTA

Fri, 2009-07-10 14:47

geoffb

I think the magazine has gone from strength to strength has the right mix.The cover CDS are just right with enough information, but what i would like to see with the TV programme is normal peoples family trees, fro example my Great Great Grandfather was sent to Gloucester prison for 10 dasy because he did not have his family vacinated against small pox, in gloucesterm simple story, but has a lot to do with social history, would eb agood idea to collect families with similar stories accroos the country, this happened in 1896.

Geoff B