Whatever one may feel about the Internet as a whole, there is no questioning that it has change the nature of genealogical research forever. That change will last, at least until the next technological innovation. Research and data used to only be accomplished through letter writing, library visits, and research trips. Now, information can be found and processed in minutes. Digitized records and indexes grow by the day. Social media and communication tools bring long-distance family closer. Finding people, living or deceased, has never been easier or faster. Yet, the Internet is getting so large, and involves so many independent technologies, it is easy for one to get lost in the diversity or, become tangled in a web of technologies they do not understand. Effective online research needs guidance. The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy, 2nd Edition, offers direction needed to successfully navigate the web for family research.
Author Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogists and is the genealogy guide for About.com. Her daily experience in online genealogical research is clear in every page of this guide as it leads the reader from the basics of research through the process of searching and extracting vital family data from a variety of online resources. Here is just a sampling of what you can expect to find in this book:
- Effectively search various websites
- Decipher census data and other online records
- Choose the best way to share your data both on and offline
- Connect with other genealogists via social media outlets
From free to paid sites, there are tips to help researchers get more from the online resources they visit. In addition, improvement to searching skills and in accessing public records will enhance the overall success in uncovering family information.
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
01 Click Into Your Past
- Family Tree Basics
- Plan Your Project
- Collect Information
- Organize the Search
- Record Your Progress
02 Begin Backward
- Interview Yourself
- Rummage Through the Attic
- Question Your Family Members
- Has it Already Been Done?
- From One Generation to the Next
03 Learn How to Search
- Search Engine Basics
- Get Creative with Names
- Connect with Living Kin
- Search Tools and Strategies
- Find the Right Tree in the Forest
- Spread the Wealth
04 Online Starting Points
- What is and is not Online
- Explore Free Databases
- Seek Out Subscription Sites
- Find Family at FamilySearch
- Discover History at the National Archives
- Look at the Library of Congress
- Search State Libraries and Archives
05 Dig Into Death Records
- A Good Place to Begin
- Search for Obituaries
- Social Security Death Index
- Death Certificates and Online Indexes
- Visit Virtual Cemeteries and funeral Homes
- Put it Into Practice
06 Check the Census
- The U.S Federal Census
- Access Census Images and Indexes Online
- Census Research Tips and Caveats
- Follow Census Clues to New Records
- Special and State Censuses
- Utilize Census Alternatives
- Put it into Practice
07 Hunt Down Family Connections
- Marriage and Divorce Records
- Birth and Baptismal Records
- Unearth Wills and Estate Records
- Chase Down Court Records
- Identify Adoptions and Orphans
08 Look Local
- Maps and Geography
- Land and Property Records
- Historical Newspapers
- Libraries and Societies
- Churches and Schools
- Local History
09 Mine the Web for Military Records
- Find Clues to Military Service
- Compiled Military Service Records
- Pensions and Bounty Land Warrants
- Discover Revolutionary and Civil War Ancestors
- Research Twentieth-Century Conflicts
- Bone Up on Military History
10 A Nation of Immigrants
- Find the Birthplace of Your Immigrant Ancestors
- Plunge into Passenger Lists
- Naturalization Records
- Ethnic Research
- Put it into Practice
11 Reach Out to Others
- Make the Most of Boards and Lists
- Ferret Out Family Trees
- Ask the Right Way
- Share Your Research
- Take a Class
- Connect with the Pros
12 Dig Deeper
- Books, Magazines, and Blogs
- Occupational Records
- Membership Organizations
- Photos and Postcards
- DNA and Genetic Genealogy
13 Locate Records Abroad
- A National of Immigrants
- Canada
- Mexico, Central America, and South America
- British Isles
- The Rest of Europe
- Australia and New Zealand
- Asia and Africa
14 Putting it all Together
- Evaluate What You’ve Found
- Protect Your Family History from Disaster
- Publish Your Family History
- Dos and Dont’s of Online Genealogy
15 See it in Action
- Laura Ingalls Wilder: Fiction to Fact
- George Herman Ruth: A Wealth of Records Online
- Robert Lee Frost: Following Families Through the Census
- Neil Armstong: Researching Twentieth-Century Ancestors
- The Mystery Box: A Descendant Genealogy
Appendix A: Further Readings
Appendix B: Family Trees
Index
The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy, 2nd Edition is available at Family Roots Publishing; Price: $16.61.