Genealogy Tip of the Day

When searching any database that claims to be for an entire geographic area, determine if there are spots or areas where information is miss...

When using records that are not indexed, make certain you know the order in which they were recorded or the order in which they were filed. ...

A liz pendens  is a notice that suit "is pending" that involves title to real property or an interest in real property. In some ju...

I'm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City as this blog post is being written. I usually don't pre-schedule posts to this b...

Do you have and are you using contemporary maps for all your ancestral locations? Names change, lines get redrawn, railroads come and go, ch...

When making copies or images of records, newspaper items, etc. do you always make certain you have the entire item as you are making the cop...

The abbreviation "inst.," as in "7th inst.," refers to a date in the present month. "Ult.," as in the "8t...

Some searchers stop the minute Google doesn't find the answer to their question. That's a mistake. Even if search engines indexed ev...

If you've been waiting to purchase a genealogy webinar, now is a great time . On 28 May, I'm taking down the sales pages for my webi...

When you query a database or look in the back of a book for the index, do you know what the database includes or what material the book cove...

If one "expert's" suggestion does not help you to solve your problem, consider asking another expert or person for their opini...

Is a spelling error on the original document or record the reason why you can't find something? Digital images of newspapers do not ...

Remember that in a word or name the vowels can get pronounced in a wide variety of ways. Variant pronunciations can result in variant spelli...

Our sponsor, GenealogyBank , is offering a special for Tip of the Day  readers--20% off an annual subscription and a copy of  "Follow t...

Newspapers (especially smaller weekly ones) often mention former residents long after they have left the area. Never assume that your relati...

Do you keep a running list of genealogy tasks as they cross your mind? Sometimes research opportunities come up unexpectedly and "dream...

Sometimes a document contains a name or a reference that is a complete mistake and there's no other explanation for it. Clerks "spa...

When Grandma (or Grandpa) talks about events that happened  before their birth, it is possible they are wrong. Not because they are lying ou...

Contrary to popular belief, people did not "have their names changed" at Ellis Island. Immigration into Ellis Island required too ...

Is your "person of interest" hiding from you because what you think is their first name is actually a middle name that they used a...

Note: Casefile Clues  is part of what keeps Genealogy Tip of the Day  free--and a great way to expand your research skills beyond our daily ...

Your relatives may have married in California in the 1920s, but they may have known each other in Illinois from childhood. Your ancestor may...

We're gearing back up at  Casefile Clues  and I am excited to get back to writing. For those who are unfamiliar with  Casefile Clues , w...

If your ancestor was married more than once, have you looked at each marriage record? Some researchers are only interested in the marriage f...

If Aunt Margaret can not remember the specific date or year of an event, see if she can fit the event into her own life or national events. ...

For those who wonder where I get the tips it is pretty simple: from actual research. Occasionally readers send me tips, but the vast major...

Do you use historical chronologies, personal chronologies, and family chronologies in your research? They can give the researcher perspectiv...

Through midnight--11:59 PM Pacific time--we are offer 15% off any purchase of my genealogy webinars. To receive the discount, use coupon ...

Is that maiden name listed on a record for a relative actually the last name of her birth father? Is it possibly the last name of a previous...

Is it time to give that one genealogy puzzle a "break?" Working on the exact same problem over and over without looking at anythin...

I wasted time trying to show that great-grandma's middle initial really was an "I' in this 1920 census record. Then it dawned o...

As you research through various materials, do you keep track (even briefly) of the reasons why specific records or materials were searched? ...

Often the real story is the simplest explanation. Before you dream up some great drama to explain your ancestor's life, lack of records,...

If you must make a notation or annotation on a copy of a document or record, make it off to the side and not in the actual text or image of ...

It's not just the well-to-do who are written up in genealogical journals. Common folk get written up as well. A recent series in the New...