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"Find Family
History on Internet" - article
If you are at all
interested in family history and genealogy, but haven’t ventured on to
the Internet, now is the time! There are vast resources waiting for
you to use and the best news is that most of it is free. From search
engines, to web pages it is easy to find family data on the Web by
following these four basic steps.
1. Prepare for the
search. Before going online it is important to create a list of names
and information to search. Write down what you know about your family
such as full names (maiden names included), dates and places
individuals lived using a plain piece of paper and a pencil, a
standard genealogical chart or a computer program like Family Tree
Maker. Then show the family data to relatives. They may be able to add
to your family history, adding names, dates, and possibly even a few
stories. Use this basic family information to start searching online.
2. Connecting with
Family. The Internet is a great way to communicate. You may already be
conversing with family via email but be unaware of the resources
available to connect with distant relatives involved in a family
history search. For instance, message boards help you find researchers
working on your family. One board is GenForum
www.genealogygenforum.com. It maintains message boards on surnames,
places and special topics. Browse the boards to see if someone else
already wrote an interesting query or post one of your own. For
example, you know your ancestors surname and the place where they
lived, but lack the details. By posting messages on this site under
both the surname and place category your request for information may
be answered. Just remember that to make effective use of a message
board it is best to keep your query short. Include the basic
information you are seeking, and list what you already know.
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3. Searching. With
the thousands of genealogy-related sites on the Internet its great to
know there is online research assistance. For instance, on
Genealogy.com, a new improved Family Finder streamlines the process by
allowing users to conduct a whole family search with ranked results
that allows for greater accuracy. A new feature enables users to save
their searches for future research. You can also read articles written
by professional genealogists on a variety of topics, take a beginning
genealogy class for free or search for web sites on specific subjects.
Many sites offer a variety of subscription and free databases. At
Genealogy.com it is possible to create an online memorial in the
Virtual Cemetery, look at records submitted by researchers in the
World Family Tree, view digitized documents at GenealogyLibrary.com,
search a digitized 1900 United States census or find immigration
information by subscribing to International and Passenger Records.
4. Have fun
online! Genealogical research requires a combination of patience and
persistence. Searching the Internet for information is just part of
the process. Finding family may be as easy as inserting a name in an
online search engine, but only by verifying that data can you be sure
you have the right family. Successful research is best accomplished by
working backwards one generation at a time, checking original sources
such as vital records, census documents and other types of material in
addition to Internet resources. Remember to record where you found the
data so that you can find it again. Family history is fun and the
Internet makes it so easy to get started.
Maureen A. Taylor
is the author of several books on genealogy and photo history
including Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs (Betterway
2000) and Through the Eyes of Your Ancestors (Houghton Mifflin 1999).
Her columns appear online at FamilyTreeMagazine.com, Genealogy.com and
NewEnglandAncestors.org.
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