| Talk to
older relatives, or more
accurately, listen to
what they have to say.
You may wish to tape
record or video tape the
interview. If you do,
remember that magnetic
media is non-permanent.
Make backups, but most
importantly transcribe
the interviews.
For suggestions on what
questions to ask during
an interview, see the
Douglas County Oral
History Program under
the Programs section at:
www.celebratedouglascounty.com. Check out those
trunks and attics to see
what family papers you
may already have.
Letters, family bible,
occasion cards
(anniversary, birthday).
All provide insights
into the past.
Record every fact.
Of particular importance
are names, counties,
dates. Remember the 5
W's from grade school --
who, what, where, when,
why, and how? Apply
those to genealogical
research. Who? Full
name of the individual.
What? Event or type of
record. When? Date of
the event. If you are
approximating the date,
use the abbreviation
"ca." in front of the
year. Where? As
realtors like to say,
"location is
everything".
In
Georgia genealogy, the
location you're looking
for is the county as
most genealogically
significant records are
recorded at the county
level. Why and How may
not always apply or may
not always be evident.
Keep an open mind and
ask the questions when
appropriate. For
example, you have a
relative who divorced,
if you ask "how divorces
were granted", you will
identify a record source
to search.
Get Organized.
Record factual data (the
5 W's) on forms. You
can design your own data
recording forms or use
one of the many
genealogical programs
available. Personally,
this writer is partial
to the data
transcription forms that
can be downloaded for
free from:
www.ancestry.com/trees/charts/ancchart.aspx?
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS
cite your sources. This
is such a critically
important part of
genealogical research
and one that is
frequently overlooked by
those just starting out
on the quest. If the
information comes from a
relative, record the
relative's name, date,
and location of the
interview. If it is a
published source, record
the basic bibliographic
data (author, title,
publisher, data of
publication, page(s)).
If it is a record,
record the type of
record, book or volume
number, dates, page
number and the name of
the institution where
you found it. An
excellent manual for
citations is:
Elizabeth Shown Mills'
Evidence! Citation
and Analysis for the
Family Historian
(1997, Genealogical
Publishing Co.)
Next step: The
Internet |
