Genealogy Tip of the Day

You may think that the world doesn't need any more genealogy blogs, but here's a reason to start one: A relative might contact you. ...

Upon occasion, one hears fellow genealogists being slightly judgemental about a specific ancestor. Instead of getting bogged down in that li...

Are you working to get more than just birth and death dates for your ancestors? After a while, lists of names and dates get a little dry for...

Have you really thought about how your ancestor' s was different from your own? Things have changed since your deceased ancestor was ali...

Ok, so it's not an actual tip of the day, but I am pleased to announce we have set the dates for the 5th annual Rootdig.com Salt Lake Ci...

One never knows when the hard drive will crash. Are you backing up your genealogy files on a regular basis? Remember, it's not whether y...

Yesterday's post mentioned men who might have had wives with the same first name. Keep in mind that in some ethnic backgrounds "reu...

There is a tombstone in the local cemetery. I can't remember the husband's name, but he had two wives, both were named Mathilda. One...

Do you know what kind of record you are using and are you entering the information correctly into your computer database? I have one distant...

Many states took state censuses at some point in their history. Consider expanding your search of census records beyond federal census recor...

If you have an age at death, keep in mind that the resulting birthdate (calculated from the age), may be slightly off. First it required the...

Before making a trip to that out of the way county courthouse, find out a few things about the county seat: Is there someplace to get lunch?...

Remember when requesting copies of vital records to get an actual copy of the document, not just a "proof." Genealogists usually n...

If your summer genealogy travel plans include a trip to that local county courthouse, consider avoiding court offices on "court day...

I'm a big believer in chains of migration, but while working on my wife's Frame family I completely ignored it. My theory was that s...

Have you updated your email address to those old posts you have made to message boards? Is it possible that there are old messages you have ...

Does your ancestor's estate inventory give an idea of his occupation? Many of us researching ancestors before the 1850 census don't ...

For a long time, I never really used the International Genealogical Index (IGI) on the FamilySearch site very much. Most of my ancestors wer...

Many of us use flash drives in our genealogy work, particularly as we travel and take pictures, scan documents, share files, etc. Your name ...

Genealogists occasionally use someone else's computer to log into one of their various email or database accounts. Some genealogists use...

Have you put your ancestor's life into the appropriate historical context? As mentioned in my earlier post, a relative "disappeared...

If you are at am impasse, have you actually located all the possible relatives who might be able to help you in your search? My wife's g...

If you are confused about a document, consider who gave the information and how they came to know that information. While your speculation m...

If you are having difficulty reading handwriting in a foreign language, after you've located a script guide (try Cyndislist- http://www....

If your research has hit a brick wall, make certain you have completely researched the in-laws. It may be that a record on one of them provi...

I finally located the marriage record for an ancestor of my wife. It was the first marriage for him and the one from which my wife did not d...

Need help with base lines and meridians in federal land states? Here is a map: http://www.blm.gov/cadastral/meridians/pmmap.jpg The "Vi...

If you need a change of pace, determine those ancestors for whom you have a copy of their signature. Remember, most recorded deeds and wills...

Have you tried to learn the occupation of each one of your ancestors? Knowing how your ancestor supported his family may provide suggestions...

A great way to get a perspective on your ancestor's time and place is to read an issue or two of their hometown paper while you are sear...

Sometimes the uninitiated is not aware of the neighborhood clues that are contained in a metes and bounds property description from state la...

Don't jump to conclusions. Your first response to a record or a document may be incorrect. I posted to my facebook account that I had be...

Never let someone tell you there is no index or there is just one index to something. Determine if there is another index or if an index was...

Consider asking someone unrelated to your family to look at a document or a record that confuses you. Going to your local genealogical socie...

Always make certain you read the description of a data set before searching. This allows you to see whether or not it includes the informati...