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Tag: sources

November 30, 2024

How to Analyze Genealogical Sources: Part Six

Editor’s Note: This article by was previously published in the Genealogy’s Star blog site . After you have reviewed a few thousand documents, you will work out your own method for analyzing the document or record and the information contained in the document or record. But meanwhile, it is a good idea to think about the process and make sure...

U.S. Research Comment: 1
September 11, 2022

FamilySearch Update: Reverse Hints

If you have been on the FamilySearch site for a while, you’re likely familiar with those blue record hint icons that pop up in the Family Tree view. They point you to possible record sources for the ancestor with the icon, and they have long been a valuable part of the FamilySearch experience. Now, after years of waiting, the circle...

FamilySearch/Records
January 10, 2022

The Return of “What is a Source?”

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site.   I looked back on the list of my blog titles and found that the last time I wrote about what is a source was in 2015. I wrote a very long blog post that few probably understood or read completely through. If you want to try, here...

Country Research/Research
January 3, 2021

What to Do when Sources Conflict

Note: This article was published previously by Kathryn Grant and is used with the author’s permission. In the 1881 census, William Shepherd Russell is living in the home of Mary Boyington. He’s listed as her nephew. In the 1891 census he’s still living with Mary, but this time he’s listed as her son. Which one is right? Because censuses and...

U.S. Research
November 9, 2020

Finding Value in Land Records

Land records might seem not to have any value to genealogical research, especially with the emphasis on vital and census records for most upcoming genealogists. However, they can be extremely helpful in locating where a family may have lived, especially when census and vital records are not available in that area for one reason or another. One reason is that...

Research/U.S. Research/Uncategorized
September 6, 2020

Discovering History in Geography

A crucial part of genealogical research is knowing the history of the location where your ancestors grew up. As a student majoring in family history at Brigham Young University, one of the many requirements that I have to accomplish in order to graduate is to take several history courses. The first few courses cover a brief overview of U.S. and...

Country Research/Records/Research
May 31, 2020

The Basic Steps in Cleaning Up the FamilySearch Family Tree

Editor’s Note: This article by James Tanner was published on the Genealogy’s Star site and is used with the author’s permission. Whether you are currently deeply involved in researching and adding new names to the FamilySearch.org Family Tree or just now beginning to learn about how to sign on, we all have the same basic challenges. I know I have...

FamilySearch/Research
May 24, 2020

How to Analyze Genealogical Sources: Part Five

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by James Tanner in the Genealogy’s Star blog site and is used with the author’s permission. Analyzing genealogical records and documents boils down to making decisions about the accuracy of the records and documents. One of the most common categorizations of documents makes a distinction between an original document and a copy. This...

Country Research/Research/U.S. Research
May 10, 2020

Source Citations: Where Did That Information Come From?

Editor’s note: This article was written by Zachary Matthews, BYU Intern for the Family History Guide Association. You are at your computer, getting ready to do some genealogical research on your favorite website. You decided to go in a different direction today and look at your 5th great–grandmother’s uncle and his family. However, when you clicked on his profile, you...

Research/U.S. Research
April 19, 2020

How to Analyze Genealogical Sources: Part Two

Editor’s note: This article by James Tanner originally appeared in the Genealogy’s Star site and is used with the author’s permission. The most effective way to learn how to analyze any subject is through the “case method.” This is used almost exclusively in law schools to teach people how to be lawyers although the use of the case method does...

Research
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