Those are ten great tips! I especially agree with the last one, to continue one's education. The Academy here is superb, and the educational material is top-notch. I've been working on my family tree for about twenty years (more seriously over the past five or six years) and hardly a day goes by that I don't learn something, either from the presentation of materials or from others in the academy Zoom sessions. What is best about all of this is that everyone who offers genealogical training does so selflessly and with a desire to be of help to others. And that is especially true of Connie and her work.
I did my genealogy 'all over again' about 8 years ago. When I was first on Ancestry, I thought I had to save everything. I ended up with a lot of entries that no body in my family would care about. Now once I get into cousins, I no longer save and maintain the wives or husbands of these people. I do save any info, documents, about the cousins that would mention these people, just in case anyone would be interested. The sad part is that no one in my family seems to be interested in my 10 years of hard work, so I keep doing it for me. I'm 79, so I guess I'll take it to the grave with me. Best part is I get to meet everyone in the tree. 😁
I'm in the same boat. I'm 75 and have tested about 20 relatives and manage their kits because they don't care. When you write your will, be sure to list your on-line sites and DNA kits for someone to manage. FTDNA lets you select a beneficiary, but none of the other sites do that. Discuss your wishes with your executor. Best wishes.
Check with your local public library many times you can donate your family history information for future generations! Thankfully an elder cousin of my mom had been doing our family history since she was 19 yrs old and when I met her she was in her late 60's so she had books and books of info which saved me a ton of time and footwork. Our family didn't know who she was at first but she was diligent and kept reaching out to my Aunt and explained who she was and when I found the time to start my family history she gladly copied her many years of research and pictures and sent them to me! Such a precious gift! Some day someone in your family will want to know. Trust me because I was that someone. Ironically as I began to do my research some of my younger generation cousins found out and reached out to me so I was able to pass on the information that I had acquired. I would take a large manila envelope and write their name on it and started filling it up with info and before I knew it they were reaching out to me and I would just have to write their address and mail it off! This is especially important because as people got divorced and moved away didn't have any info for their kids. Many times I was able to provide this and that's what makes all of this hard work worth it! I think it's the best gift you and I can give!
I think you could make sure your tree is on Ancestry or Family Search. I suspect you would need to record the records and any information you have found on certain individuals. I think they do keep the records for paying members??
I've been doing research for over twenty years, and still found the tips very helpful. I would add two additional tips. The very first thing I would do if starting over would be to talk to older relatives before they pass on. I would have saved myself a great deal of time if I had been able to obtain information about ancestor names, places of origin, etc., as well as family stories. The second tip is related to the taking of research notes, and that is to write out in one place all the lines of research you have conducted. For example, the fact that at some time I researched all Italian birth records for a specific area during a specific time period. This will hopefully insure you don't repeat the same line of research several years later because you forgot you did it previously, and possibly with no results. I admit I have started research several times and wasted time before I realized I had already went down this line of research.
Ancillary to "Research Question" ... create a "Product Backlog". I work as a Scrum Master in software development. In that methodology, we have something called a Product Backlog. It's an emergent, ordered list of work to be done for a product. As we refine it over time, we distill it into smaller & smaller pieces (Epics, Features, Stories, Tasks) until we're ready to work on something manageable. It looks like a nested/indented list. I took this approach for my research effort. My product is my family tree. The Epics are each generation. The Features are each person in that generation (Father, Mother, etc). The Stories are the various research questions / primary documents to find (birth cert, death cert, census, etc). I can make a quick addition of a new research item & keep it organized for future action. And quickly see what is completed versus what gaps still need to be filled in for a particular person. I grew out my basic tree to 6 generations, citing only primary sources, in about 3 months. I'm focusing on generations 7 & 8 now, with less-pressing "research questions" for generations 1-6 still living in the backlog for future effort. You can create a workable backlog using MS Word with a nested bullet list, but most software teams use something like Atlassian Jira, Microsoft Azure DevOps, etc. (Google image search "product backlog hierarchy" if you want to see a visual.). I have my Product Backlog in Microsoft AzureDevOps because I use some capabilities like easily seeing & filtering status, reporting & dashboarding, etc. (You can create a free account if you want to do the same). Asking the questions is only part of the battle. The other part is organizing all of the questions so that you can efficiently manage what remains unanswered.
If you start an online backlog, another benefit that you'll like: you can keep your notes, including URLs an such, in the description field, further reducing your paper clutter. Azure Devops also has a built-in wiki, so I'm using that to keep a draft of the write-up.
I just found this channel not too long ago, but I have learned so much. I had been dabbling in genealogy for years, taking breaks out of frustration. You give the best tips! I've only recently started using the research question process that you mentioned. But boy oh boy, it's helped me so much to keep focused. I have a tendency to get distracted and found myself chasing down every tangent and ending up never getting the answer I set out to find. Now I've learned to just stay on that research question and if I find something, like a record collection where I've noticed other ancestors names included, I make a note to myself on what I found and where I found it so I can go back to it at a later time. You've helped me immensely to get my mess of a tree cleaned up and pared down too! Thanks for everything you do to help us learn. You're a wonderful teacher.
Ah thanks. "But boy oh boy, it's helped me so much to keep focused." That's the real lesson here. You're not along chasing hints.... we call that "squirrel!"
Great summary and motivating me to do more on my tree. You mentioned State Archives - Alabama. My grandfather was the Alabama Dept of Archives photographer and did a great deal of microfilming record in the 1950’s. Nice flashback.
Key for me has been siblings of grandparents parents and great grandparents because most people on AncestryDNA only have limited trees it helps them when I add them to my tree. But they may have one next level Grand Parent that I don’t. I look at all trees big and small. But the best filter is to run UnViewed DNA matches with Common Ancestors the day after I add relatives to my tree. If you match a cousin to common ancestor it’s important to add all the siblings along the through lines. Because if you have 48,500 cousins they may have the key to a dead end common ancestor.
Ancestry helped me find my father after 60 years, and all of my siblings (who are happy to finally find me), not to mention loads of cousins, who have all been wonderful. Best to do a DNA - Worth every cent.
I have been interested in genealogy for many years, but I think the one thing that I would do different is ask more questions. Ancestry has been a wonderful tool for keeping everything in one place through the years. Thank you for everything you do Connie to keep us up to date.
There is some good "strategic" advice here. However, I personally would rank ahead of all these tips getting Family Tree Maker installed on your computer. That's where I started 25 years ago when I started organizing the on-paper trees and records received from several family members. FTM remains the bedrock of everything I do, facilitating links to online resources but so much more. Ancestry's online platform is cumbersome and limited in comparison. (I generally avoid using online software.) As an example, I regularly generate and print various kinds of reports with FTM as working tools. I'm not sure if that is even possible with Ancestry. So, yes, I regard my Ancestry account as essential and well worth the cost, and sync regularly, but FTM remains the foundation.
The big issue with Ancestry is the cost. But it is worth it if you are doing serious research. If you need to take a break, the tree never goes away, so you can come back to it.
Fab video Connie! I´ve been researching my family for over 20 years and agree with everything you said. Can I add one more tip? On Ancestry, research other people´s trees who have your family in them. But with a big pinch of cynicism. Often they do have records attached that you have missed which is great But other times you want you say "nooo! wrong person!" But it really helps at times in finding things you´ve missed and also shutting down routes that are wrong
Great info for beginners. I started my family history in June 1971. So much has changed and continues to change. You definitely make getting started in this day and age a “jump start”.
One thing I've found in my many years of working with Ancestry is that pretty much every tree I've looked at contains errors. Not just a slight misspelling or a typo in a date, but egregious errors, such as children born before parents or people born in the 1400s in Connecticut. Do people even think before they post info? Another thing I've found is that it's much easier to add people to my tree in Family Tree Maker and then sync with Ancestry. Also, FTM has places for so much more information than Ancestry does. And then there's the matter of printing information. I was working for a client who had Ancestry, and they couldn't believe Ancestry didn't have a way to print out charts and reports. BTW, I've been doing this since the late 60s and used the old-fashioned ways of interviews, cemeteries, courthouses, newspapers, and microfilms in libraries.
I would for sure subscribe to your Geneology TV channel (again). I learned a lot from you and with your enthusiasm you motivate me everytime to look further for revords of my ancestors! Thank you!
Connie, Great Video! I totally agree with the majority of your great tips in this session. Only thing I would add (using your "you do you" expression) is that my primary tree is in desktop software. And the other is Cite My Sources! Nobody told me that in the beginning. I happened to run a query earlier today showing me that the 'great majority' of my data is not sourced. My Bad. I'm going to use your Research Notes feature to go one generation at a time to get on that. Back in 2014 when (I think it was) Thomas MacEntee (who) started the 'Do Over'. I was on genealogy hiatus then, so I didn't do it. No excuse, I have a plan now to get it done. Also adding one or two of your suggestions as well. ie I contacted a local library awhile ago by email with no response. Think I'll call them for this location specific question.
Thank you Connie. I am finding your videos to be extremely helpful and plan to go back and watch many of them. I’ve been doing family history for over 30 years and currently spend several hours per day on it. I just watched your videos on dna cousin grouping and started doing it. Looks like I’m on the verge of breaking down two decades long brick walls.
Great video! Thank you for posting it. I, too, am a life-long genealogist (+/- 35 yrs) and yet I still am learning, as well. Your tips here reminded me to be (MUCH!) better abt keeping research notes. Your tip to post research online or create a FB group is particularly helpful. I use countless FB groups to help with crowd sourcing. That said, I have not really previously considered creating my own FB groups to focus on my own research! What a fabulous idea. 👏
Connie, YES and double yes!! I've been doing this genealogy thing off and on for over 50+ years :) These suggestions are golden....I have recently due to DNA gotten closer to unraveling that brick wall of who the parents of my gm are...I knew that I was related to Davis' from Guilford Co, NC area and the Quakers moved to IN in the 1830s with that mass exodus to the north...however, on I think my fathers side there is a group of Davis' that either were never Quakers or broke away from them early on ...these guys came from VA....I think this may be your Davis group....boy howdy what a mess!! :) Glad you were able to figure it all out...maybe :)
Connie you never cease to amaze me with your knowledge base, facts, tips and hints. This was right up my alley of thoughts to pursue. Keep informing and inspiring us. I love it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I enjoyed watching your video and it was great to hear your insight after many years of researching. You inspired me to do a deeper look at the card catalog.
Love these tips so much, it's a good mental exercise for us Intermediate-experience genealogist, but especially for those who are just starting, I wished I knew half of what I know now (process, notes, places to look at, etc), thank you soooo very much!
Connie, I have learned so much from your videos and handouts over the years- thank you, thank you, thank you! This video is another good reminder of things to do. - Debbie Jones from Phoenix
This video was very helpful! I’ve been researching inconsistently since my teens. I have my family tree starting to flesh out but I think taking it to the next level is what will help to get serious about collecting the memories and family lineage.
The reason I never signed up with Ancestry is because I get so angry at their greediness. Not only do they harass you constantly, they keep buying up other places that were free to start with. They own so many things that you used to could find publicly without an issue. I just don't support that kind of corporate greed. I have myself on family search and have my personal tree offline using Roots magic.
Connie, you are the best! These are fantastically helpful tips! I'm in the early stages of family research, and I always look to your guidance first. Keep up the great work! Virginia
Also sign up with GEDMatch. (You can always opt out of police matching if you want bad criminals to remain free. I am good with serial killers being sniffed out personally.)
My father introduced me to genealogy about 10yrs ago and I was working on it each every day for several years. I'm a stickler for accurate information and I've been able to source (with authentic documentation) approximately 4,000 ancestors on my Dad's side & another 3,000 on my mothers. I stopped working on it approx. 4yrs ago when I found myself spending less time doing my own research & more time reaching out to "name collectors" with public trees full of errors. Curious if you have any tips on how to overcome this?
Great stuff. I liked the research question and research notes. So this got me thinking if I start over I would store all my digital photos with the date taken and add the photo details to the image file properties. I guess it’s not to late to start these things. That’s for the show.
@@drjlrust - True, but how many adoptees do DNA first without ever trying to get their birth certificate. More and more states are opening up adoption records. And I stick by my statement of people (non-adoptees) thinking doing DNA is going to magically provide them with a family tree. Don't get me wrong I'm all for DNA. I solved a 37 year brick wall with DNA. Mind you I created at least two more (a father who isn't the father and a mother who wasn't the mother) both back in the 1800s/1790s.
I did a DNA test with 23@me and found that most people listed as my cousins aren't interested in finding out how we are related. I have close to 70,000 names in my ancestry page and my DNA cousins list helped me prove my research. When I started, I used other people's research that was far from accurate. The most important thing I found was talking to older relatives who could tell me who was who without whose help I have no idea how I could of found the right people. Thankfully ancestry doesn't have a monopoly on the 1950 census.
I so so wish I had watched this video a few days ago. I have been using Ancestry and Family Search a long time but I've been frustrated trying to keep them both updated. So I purchased Roots Magic8 to keep my own database. Now I wish I had just made a private one on Ancestry.
The ONLY thing wrong with building a family tree with familysearch, is that Some people can have a lot of wrong info in the trees they build and then it is attached to yours, and there in NO way to correct it. I have had it happen to me TWICE, people with totally wrong info, on my mothers line, and because of some family book, written in 1908 with wrong info, some distant cousins have taken it as gospel and refuse to change or correct the info... so NOW MY tree which I have spent 29 yrs building and making sure the info is as correct as I can get it, is now attached with distant cousins with the wrong info!! Also there is NOW no way to cancel your tree on familysearch....
when I started doing my family tree in the 1980's it was binders and notebooks. When the family tree maker for your computer came out I was in heaven, but I made a separate tree for all surnames and uploaded them to Ancestry. Now I wish I had done one tree. How do I combine them without making a mess and having to retype everything? ?
I would pick one place to decide that this is thee place for my family tree going forward... and then I would start going person by person to make sure everything is added to that one place. It may take time, but that's my two cents.
As always I find your tips and suggestions to be OUTSTANDING. My sister and I are collaborating on researching our enslaver ancestors with the idea of trying to help any linked cousins with their genealogical research. If we can use our knowledge to help them, that's our goal. If you have any suggestions on this particular focus, we are in need of help. We are hitting those same brick walls that our black cousins have been hitting in their research.
I understand the need to make a living. I don't understand why Ancestry has to be so expensive. Also, am I understanding that you pay additionally if you want a document? Seems like all of this info should be public and accessible to all.
By various means I have compiled my family's genealogy. One missing piece remains. The date and place of death of my Serbian great grandfather Stefan Terzic who lived near Gracac, Croatia. If you have ever tried to find records the hard way, try former Yugoslavia.
My only criticism is the research question. If that research question is too narrow one could lose themselves in this rabbit hole forever and, yet, with no success. I have a family story that meets this criteria. My great-grandfather was murdered by his wife (his second wife… no relation). I never expected to find any info proving this. But it would be nice to at least find some general info on this. Problem is, it’s a vague search, since I’m not expecting any murder mystery search. Sadly, Newspapers has NO records of THE most historical records in the entire US (Plymouth County US… No Cape Cod Times, No Standards Times, etc). Sooooo, for all their billions of records, it may still not be enough. In fact, these databases lack some of the most historic records (New England) in existence. I appreciate their desire to expand the database to satisfy those with other roots. But just from statistics alone, most researchers would trace their roots to this geographical region. So, their lack of resources from this region is quite significant. My advice to Ancestry and their collaborators: Be smarter in your database uploads. New England and Virginia should take top priority.
Dear Connie, lovely presentation as usual. Could I ask a question? I was unable to find a definitive description as to how Ancestry differentiates maternal and paternal DNA. They quote a "Sideways view" I couldn't find out what that entails. In my mind the maternal and paternal chromosomes are differentiated by a different pattern of gene switches (e.g. methyl groups): and I can't see that Ancestry can test this by chopping up the DNA to test for 500,000 SNP/SNVs. So of course my question is "what is a Sideways View?" (Hopefully something not too mathematical.) I recently did a presentation for our family history group which mainly covered DNA testing. This time, as more members have been tested there were a lot of questions about DNA. Luckily not involving the "Sideways View."
My biggest wall I hit trying to find out my past is a pay wall kinda sucks wanting to know what native tribe my family comes from and having no money 😕
If I had to watch this video all over again (applying same theme as this video), I would run my cursor over the timeline to see the chapter headings. Saved me 15 minutes of boring information and advertisements. I use Ancestry in conjunction with Family Tree Maker. I already do all the other stuff organized in digital files with binders of hard copies of official documents/photos/research notes. But I did learn something from this video. Thank you.
One of my biggest tips is to cite/link your SOURCES! So often people don't. When I see a name, date, place, etc, the first thing I think is, "Where's the proof?" Otherwise, you wonder if this is my person, or why does that date differ from the one I have, etc, and you can determine which is valid. Even if the source is Great-Aunt Mabel's memory, that let's you know where you got that snippet of info, and whether it's trustworthy. Be very cautious about using Ancestry's family trees. I see so many trees where the data (often wrong) is just copied from one tree to another. Again -- SOURCES! Where did they get this? Can you trust it? If they do have sources linked (such as a public record), go back and link it directly yourself. Good documentation can save you from going down someone else's family tree.
Thank you. Very informative. Thanks for the reminders of "what to do". It helped me refocus. Keep sharing. I like your format, your voice, and content.
This was such a helpful video! You are wonderful. I’m about 6 months into this, very small disjointed family so it’s been exciting and extremely frustrating to piece it together. My paid membership is about to expire, things are tight financially, will I still be able to do some basic research for free or will I lose all the tools on ancestry if I don’t renew?
To the best of my knowledge you will only lose access to some of the records. The pointers to those records will still be there, you just won’t be able to see them until you reinstate your membership. Your tree is still available for you to use.
My local library offers access to Ancestry while at the library. You might check into your local library to see if they have a subscription for in-library use.
About DNA Testing... Have you done any videos on managing the DNA tests for relatives who aren't interested in doing it? I'm hoping to get my husband's grandma to test. (She is currently 101 years old! 😃🎉) I'm also hoping to get some more of my maternal relatives to test. (My father has tested, but his DNA profile is managed by a 1st cousin 1R... so I would like to ask them to make me manager of his DNA profile, if more than 1 person can be manager?) Thanks for what you do!
I've talked about it in various episodes. Perhaps you can approach it like this... the DNA work we are doing today is like being the pioneers of our ancestors as they explored the new frontier. DNA research for genealogy is at its infancy and the more we can get our oldest generations to test, the more beneficial it will be to our future generations. Think about what the DNA world will be like 200 years from now. They will be grateful for the DNA work we're doing today. Consumer DNA testing has only been around for 10 years... so it's like we are the pioneers exploring the new world.
Well I don't recommend starting over... I was just saying if I did, this is what I would do. You likely have done some great work. Just verify what you have done.
@@GenealogyTV Thank you for your kind comment. I understood that and I appreciate you sharing this with us very much. :) If I start over, I won't be getting rid of anything that I have already done. Those trees would remain intact. I would just start a new tree and document as I go, which I didn't know to do when I first started all those 40+ years ago as a young teenager. This new tree would combine the families of my mother, bio father, and the daddy who raised me all into one documented, verified family tree. Well, as best as I can document it, considering there are no legal records showing my bio father to be my bio father. There's only the AncestryDNA test. It has also been shared with me that starting with a blank slate could help me to unlock my stubborn brick wall. I'm willing to try most anything to do that. I would also start the research notes with this new tree, as you've shown in your videos. Up to this point, I have been keeping notes in the Notes section of the tree profiles, but your idea seems better overall. I could have the notes in both places. Thank you for your encouragement. :)
That’s a subjective argument because now we have so many of the tools we did not have 30 years ago, when I started. I would have a very accurate family tree going back several generations now with all the available records that we had to use the right two, and we had a bug or family members for stuff that we can now just get online or order
I am a new member and I have been unable to find any of the "Show Notes" / "Handouts" you talk about in your videos. Can you please give me some guidance on where to find them
Go to the Community tab for the handouts. If you are an Info Access level member you will see them posted as links in the blog posts that say HANDOUT. For other notes they are right below in the description box the videos but you will need to click see more. Thanks for supporting GTV.
Ancestry can be a good source if you've got a WASP family. I don't mean that in a bad way, but if you have eastern European family, their records aren't all that good. Also, unless you have a private tree on Ancestry, people can and do abscond with your information even though you know it doesn't belong. I've had people put my grandparents in their tree.
Yes, I believe so. I think their position is not so much ownership rights, but the right to share since they don't have control over who imports content you upload to your public tree.
Hi there! Just came across your channel, thank you for the tips! I'm wondering if you know of resources for people whose family isn't primarily American? Much of my family is from Spain and I have no idea how to start, even though I'm fluent in Spanish. Are their genealogy communities for other countries? Thanks!
Thx Connie. Great advice. I’d like your opinion on how far should we drill down on relatives. For example I’ve got a 3rd cousin 3x removed who was a prime minister of Australia. One of my connections thru ancestry told me. Then another connection told me she wouldn’t waste her time going down that far. What is your view? Im confused and would appreciate your guidance. Thx.
First of all... work backwards starting with yourself... working back toward ancestors. I use descendants research for the purpose of connecting, sharing, and DNA work... so we can find the common ancestors. So to answer your question, I only go as far as I need to given my current research question/project. So if I'm looking for a great grandfather, I'm going to study the siblings and descendants far enough to help me verify links and DNA connections.
Those are ten great tips! I especially agree with the last one, to continue one's education. The Academy here is superb, and the educational material is top-notch. I've been working on my family tree for about twenty years (more seriously over the past five or six years) and hardly a day goes by that I don't learn something, either from the presentation of materials or from others in the academy Zoom sessions. What is best about all of this is that everyone who offers genealogical training does so selflessly and with a desire to be of help to others. And that is especially true of Connie and her work.
Ah... gosh Bill, you just made my day. Thank you.
I did my genealogy 'all over again' about 8 years ago. When I was first on Ancestry, I thought I had to save everything. I ended up with a lot of entries that no body in my family would care about. Now once I get into cousins, I no longer save and maintain the wives or husbands of these people. I do save any info, documents, about the cousins that would mention these people, just in case anyone would be interested. The sad part is that no one in my family seems to be interested in my 10 years of hard work, so I keep doing it for me. I'm 79, so I guess I'll take it to the grave with me. Best part is I get to meet everyone in the tree. 😁
Someday a relative, maybe even a young adult you already know (when they get older), will be deeply grateful for all your hard work...
I'm in the same boat. I'm 75 and have tested about 20 relatives and manage their kits because they don't care. When you write your will, be sure to list your on-line sites and DNA kits for someone to manage. FTDNA lets you select a beneficiary, but none of the other sites do that. Discuss your wishes with your executor. Best wishes.
One of your relatives that hasn’t been born yet might be the one who appreciates this and is vigilant and invested in carrying on your hard work!
Check with your local public library many times you can donate your family history information for future generations! Thankfully an elder cousin of my mom had been doing our family history since she was 19 yrs old and when I met her she was in her late 60's so she had books and books of info which saved me a ton of time and footwork. Our family didn't know who she was at first but she was diligent and kept reaching out to my Aunt and explained who she was and when I found the time to start my family history she gladly copied her many years of research and pictures and sent them to me! Such a precious gift! Some day someone in your family will want to know. Trust me because I was that someone. Ironically as I began to do my research some of my younger generation cousins found out and reached out to me so I was able to pass on the information that I had acquired. I would take a large manila envelope and write their name on it and started filling it up with info and before I knew it they were reaching out to me and I would just have to write their address and mail it off!
This is especially important because as people got divorced and moved away didn't have any info for their kids. Many times I was able to provide this and that's what makes all of this hard work worth it! I think it's the best gift you and I can give!
I think you could make sure your tree is on Ancestry or Family Search. I suspect you would need to record the records and any information you have found on certain individuals. I think they do keep the records for paying members??
I've been doing research for over twenty years, and still found the tips very helpful. I would add two additional tips.
The very first thing I would do if starting over would be to talk to older relatives before they pass on. I would have saved myself a great deal of time if I had been able to obtain information about ancestor names, places of origin, etc., as well as family stories.
The second tip is related to the taking of research notes, and that is to write out in one place all the lines of research you have conducted. For example, the fact that at some time I researched all Italian birth records for a specific area during a specific time period. This will hopefully insure you don't repeat the same line of research several years later because you forgot you did it previously, and possibly with no results. I admit I have started research several times and wasted time before I realized I had already went down this line of research.
Ancillary to "Research Question" ... create a "Product Backlog".
I work as a Scrum Master in software development. In that methodology, we have something called a Product Backlog. It's an emergent, ordered list of work to be done for a product. As we refine it over time, we distill it into smaller & smaller pieces (Epics, Features, Stories, Tasks) until we're ready to work on something manageable. It looks like a nested/indented list.
I took this approach for my research effort. My product is my family tree. The Epics are each generation. The Features are each person in that generation (Father, Mother, etc). The Stories are the various research questions / primary documents to find (birth cert, death cert, census, etc). I can make a quick addition of a new research item & keep it organized for future action. And quickly see what is completed versus what gaps still need to be filled in for a particular person. I grew out my basic tree to 6 generations, citing only primary sources, in about 3 months. I'm focusing on generations 7 & 8 now, with less-pressing "research questions" for generations 1-6 still living in the backlog for future effort.
You can create a workable backlog using MS Word with a nested bullet list, but most software teams use something like Atlassian Jira, Microsoft Azure DevOps, etc. (Google image search "product backlog hierarchy" if you want to see a visual.). I have my Product Backlog in Microsoft AzureDevOps because I use some capabilities like easily seeing & filtering status, reporting & dashboarding, etc. (You can create a free account if you want to do the same).
Asking the questions is only part of the battle. The other part is organizing all of the questions so that you can efficiently manage what remains unanswered.
Great tip. I like it.
Fellow software dev, and holy crap, why didn't I ever think of this?!
If you start an online backlog, another benefit that you'll like: you can keep your notes, including URLs an such, in the description field, further reducing your paper clutter. Azure Devops also has a built-in wiki, so I'm using that to keep a draft of the write-up.
I just found this channel not too long ago, but I have learned so much. I had been dabbling in genealogy for years, taking breaks out of frustration. You give the best tips! I've only recently started using the research question process that you mentioned. But boy oh boy, it's helped me so much to keep focused. I have a tendency to get distracted and found myself chasing down every tangent and ending up never getting the answer I set out to find. Now I've learned to just stay on that research question and if I find something, like a record collection where I've noticed other ancestors names included, I make a note to myself on what I found and where I found it so I can go back to it at a later time. You've helped me immensely to get my mess of a tree cleaned up and pared down too! Thanks for everything you do to help us learn. You're a wonderful teacher.
Ah thanks. "But boy oh boy, it's helped me so much to keep focused." That's the real lesson here. You're not along chasing hints.... we call that "squirrel!"
@@GenealogyTV That's a fitting name for it since I have a lot of nuts in my tree!
Great summary and motivating me to do more on my tree.
You mentioned State Archives - Alabama. My grandfather was the Alabama Dept of Archives photographer and did a great deal of microfilming record in the 1950’s. Nice flashback.
That is awesome!
Key for me has been siblings of grandparents parents and great grandparents because most people on AncestryDNA only have limited trees it helps them when I add them to my tree. But they may have one next level Grand Parent that I don’t. I look at all trees big and small. But the best filter is to run UnViewed DNA matches with Common Ancestors the day after I add relatives to my tree. If you match a cousin to common ancestor it’s important to add all the siblings along the through lines. Because if you have 48,500 cousins they may have the key to a dead end common ancestor.
Ancestry helped me find my father after 60 years, and all of my siblings (who are happy to finally find me), not to mention loads of cousins, who have all been wonderful. Best to do a DNA - Worth every cent.
I have been interested in genealogy for many years, but I think the one thing that I would do different is ask more questions. Ancestry has been a wonderful tool for keeping everything in one place through the years. Thank you for everything you do Connie to keep us up to date.
There is some good "strategic" advice here. However, I personally would rank ahead of all these tips getting Family Tree Maker installed on your computer. That's where I started 25 years ago when I started organizing the on-paper trees and records received from several family members. FTM remains the bedrock of everything I do, facilitating links to online resources but so much more. Ancestry's online platform is cumbersome and limited in comparison. (I generally avoid using online software.) As an example, I regularly generate and print various kinds of reports with FTM as working tools. I'm not sure if that is even possible with Ancestry. So, yes, I regard my Ancestry account as essential and well worth the cost, and sync regularly, but FTM remains the foundation.
The big issue with Ancestry is the cost. But it is worth it if you are doing serious research. If you need to take a break, the tree never goes away, so you can come back to it.
Yes and you can still access the tree but not all the records until you reinstated your membership.
Don't forget many times you can go to your local public library and do Ancestry for free! Such a blessing!
Fab video Connie! I´ve been researching my family for over 20 years and agree with everything you said. Can I add one more tip? On Ancestry, research other people´s trees who have your family in them. But with a big pinch of cynicism. Often they do have records attached that you have missed which is great But other times you want you say "nooo! wrong person!" But it really helps at times in finding things you´ve missed and also shutting down routes that are wrong
Yes! Totally agree.
Great info for beginners. I started my family history in June 1971. So much has changed and continues to change.
You definitely make getting started in this day and age a “jump start”.
Thank you.
One thing I've found in my many years of working with Ancestry is that pretty much every tree I've looked at contains errors. Not just a slight misspelling or a typo in a date, but egregious errors, such as children born before parents or people born in the 1400s in Connecticut. Do people even think before they post info?
Another thing I've found is that it's much easier to add people to my tree in Family Tree Maker and then sync with Ancestry. Also, FTM has places for so much more information than Ancestry does. And then there's the matter of printing information. I was working for a client who had Ancestry, and they couldn't believe Ancestry didn't have a way to print out charts and reports.
BTW, I've been doing this since the late 60s and used the old-fashioned ways of interviews, cemeteries, courthouses, newspapers, and microfilms in libraries.
I would for sure subscribe to your Geneology TV channel (again). I learned a lot from you and with your enthusiasm you motivate me everytime to look further for revords of my ancestors! Thank you!
Awesome, thank you!
Connie, Great Video! I totally agree with the majority of your great tips in this session. Only thing I would add (using your "you do you" expression) is that my primary tree is in desktop software. And the other is Cite My Sources! Nobody told me that in the beginning. I happened to run a query earlier today showing me that the 'great majority' of my data is not sourced. My Bad. I'm going to use your Research Notes feature to go one generation at a time to get on that. Back in 2014 when (I think it was) Thomas MacEntee (who) started the 'Do Over'. I was on genealogy hiatus then, so I didn't do it. No excuse, I have a plan now to get it done. Also adding one or two of your suggestions as well. ie I contacted a local library awhile ago by email with no response. Think I'll call them for this location specific question.
Yes... I have an idea for another video on this subject. Stay tuned.
Thank you Connie. I am finding your videos to be extremely helpful and plan to go back and watch many of them.
I’ve been doing family history for over 30 years and currently spend several hours per day on it.
I just watched your videos on dna cousin grouping and started doing it. Looks like I’m on the verge of breaking down two decades long brick walls.
Wonderful!
Great video! Thank you for posting it. I, too, am a life-long genealogist (+/- 35 yrs) and yet I still am learning, as well. Your tips here reminded me to be (MUCH!) better abt keeping research notes. Your tip to post research online or create a FB group is particularly helpful. I use countless FB groups to help with crowd sourcing. That said, I have not really previously considered creating my own FB groups to focus on my own research! What a fabulous idea. 👏
I find the FB groups helpful and fun.
Connie, YES and double yes!! I've been doing this genealogy thing off and on for over 50+ years :) These suggestions are golden....I have recently due to DNA gotten closer to unraveling that brick wall of who the parents of my gm are...I knew that I was related to Davis' from Guilford Co, NC area and the Quakers moved to IN in the 1830s with that mass exodus to the north...however, on I think my fathers side there is a group of Davis' that either were never Quakers or broke away from them early on ...these guys came from VA....I think this may be your Davis group....boy howdy what a mess!! :) Glad you were able to figure it all out...maybe :)
Connie you never cease to amaze me with your knowledge base, facts, tips and hints. This was right up my alley of thoughts to pursue. Keep informing and inspiring us. I love it. Thanks for sharing.
Very kind. Thank you.
Thank you! I enjoyed watching your video and it was great to hear your insight after many years of researching. You inspired me to do a deeper look at the card catalog.
Yes!
Love these tips so much, it's a good mental exercise for us Intermediate-experience genealogist, but especially for those who are just starting, I wished I knew half of what I know now (process, notes, places to look at, etc), thank you soooo very much!
Thx
Connie, I have learned so much from your videos and handouts over the years- thank you, thank you, thank you! This video is another good reminder of things to do. - Debbie Jones from Phoenix
Thx Debbie. You’re so sweet.
Thank You. Sometimes it gets overwhelming but I push on.
Connie you are the absolute best, thank you so much for teaching everyone with your knowledge. I love your CZcams channel!
Wow, thank you!
This video was very helpful! I’ve been researching inconsistently since my teens. I have my family tree starting to flesh out but I think taking it to the next level is what will help to get serious about collecting the memories and family lineage.
Glad it was helpful!
The reason I never signed up with Ancestry is because I get so angry at their greediness. Not only do they harass you constantly, they keep buying up other places that were free to start with. They own so many things that you used to could find publicly without an issue. I just don't support that kind of corporate greed. I have myself on family search and have my personal tree offline using Roots magic.
Connie, you are the best! These are fantastically helpful tips! I'm in the early stages of family research, and I always look to your guidance first. Keep up the great work! Virginia
You are so welcome!
Also sign up with GEDMatch. (You can always opt out of police matching if you want bad criminals to remain free. I am good with serial killers being sniffed out personally.)
I find Gedmatch so difficult that I don’t bother with it.
My father introduced me to genealogy about 10yrs ago and I was working on it each every day for several years. I'm a stickler for accurate information and I've been able to source (with authentic documentation) approximately 4,000 ancestors on my Dad's side & another 3,000 on my mothers. I stopped working on it approx. 4yrs ago when I found myself spending less time doing my own research & more time reaching out to "name collectors" with public trees full of errors. Curious if you have any tips on how to overcome this?
Great stuff. I liked the research question and research notes. So this got me thinking if I start over I would store all my digital photos with the date taken and add the photo details to the image file properties. I guess it’s not to late to start these things. That’s for the show.
Glad it was helpful!
Also, in NY, I found Italian Genealogy and German Genealogy are helpful with info
Ancestry is best for US based people. For Europe they are miles away from myheritage.
I've seen many folks knock ancestry, but to be honest I still recommend the site when asked.
Me too.
Great video Connie, lots of good information 👍
Thanks Mandy
I'd put DNA at the end. Too many people do no research or start a tree, but do DNA and think their tree is going to magically appear.
If you are adopted or have questions about the legitimacy of any family members, then DNA is vitally important.
@@drjlrust - True, but how many adoptees do DNA first without ever trying to get their birth certificate. More and more states are opening up adoption records. And I stick by my statement of people (non-adoptees) thinking doing DNA is going to magically provide them with a family tree. Don't get me wrong I'm all for DNA. I solved a 37 year brick wall with DNA. Mind you I created at least two more (a father who isn't the father and a mother who wasn't the mother) both back in the 1800s/1790s.
Dear Connie!
As usual your videos are very, very helpful.Thanks a million.
Best regards.
Glad you like them! I work hard to make them useful.
Love your videos ♡ I'm in the process of going back over my tree to double check and fill in any blanks. These tips were awesome thank you ♡
Awesome... smart move.
I did a DNA test with 23@me and found that most people listed as my cousins aren't interested in finding out how we are related. I have close to 70,000 names in my ancestry page and my DNA cousins list helped me prove my research. When I started, I used other people's research that was far from accurate. The most important thing I found was talking to older relatives who could tell me who was who without whose help I have no idea how I could of found the right people.
Thankfully ancestry doesn't have a monopoly on the 1950 census.
Me too... "When I started, I used other people's research that was far from accurate."
Thank You so much. I'll be looking into this. Have a fantastic day
I so so wish I had watched this video a few days ago. I have been using Ancestry and Family Search a long time but I've been frustrated trying to keep them both updated. So I purchased Roots Magic8 to keep my own database. Now I wish I had just made a private one on Ancestry.
You may still find good tools in Roots Magic that you can't find anywhere else.
@@GenealogyTV , yes, I do like their research notes area.
Thank you! Something I need to do!
Awesome as usual. 😊
Thank you so much 😀 And thank for your support.
I did this when I got my grandmother's DNA. Built her side of my tree from scratch.
The ONLY thing wrong with building a family tree with familysearch, is that Some people can have a lot of wrong info in the trees they build and then it is attached to yours, and there in NO way to correct it. I have had it happen to me TWICE, people with totally wrong info, on my mothers line, and because of some family book, written in 1908 with wrong info, some distant cousins have taken it as gospel and refuse to change or correct the info... so NOW MY tree which I have spent 29 yrs building and making sure the info is as correct as I can get it, is now attached with distant cousins with the wrong info!! Also there is NOW no way to cancel your tree on familysearch....
This is why I keep my primary tree on Ancestry. You can build a tree for free there you know.
when I started doing my family tree in the 1980's it was binders and notebooks. When the family tree maker for your computer came out I was in heaven, but I made a separate tree for all surnames and uploaded them to Ancestry. Now I wish I had done one tree. How do I combine them without making a mess and having to retype everything?
?
Yes, me too.
I would pick one place to decide that this is thee place for my family tree going forward... and then I would start going person by person to make sure everything is added to that one place. It may take time, but that's my two cents.
Have one tree only, do merging, disconnecting people properly.
As always I find your tips and suggestions to be OUTSTANDING. My sister and I are collaborating on researching our enslaver ancestors with the idea of trying to help any linked cousins with their genealogical research. If we can use our knowledge to help them, that's our goal. If you have any suggestions on this particular focus, we are in need of help. We are hitting those same brick walls that our black cousins have been hitting in their research.
If you haven't already, learn how to research the enslaved. It has it's own strategies.
I understand the need to make a living. I don't understand why Ancestry has to be so expensive. Also, am I understanding that you pay additionally if you want a document? Seems like all of this info should be public and accessible to all.
Thank you for this tip and all of the others you have provided.
My pleasure!
Ancestry new design takes me to their help area. Makes hard to get to trees. Liked the old design better.
Understood.
We like it better because change is hard. I think we will find new ways to navigate and they will maybe prove even better.
Great summary. Completely agree.
Yes my own tree!!
By various means I have compiled my family's genealogy. One missing piece remains. The date and place of death of my Serbian great grandfather Stefan Terzic who lived near Gracac, Croatia. If you have ever tried to find records the hard way, try former Yugoslavia.
I read the title as "I did my tree over again". I panicked because I have 16k+ in my tree 🌳! At least I use Ancestry, 🤣
Yes, don’t start your tree over again. Just fix anything that needs to be fixed.
Great topic!
I started research in the mid 70's. i would have kept better records,asked more questions, but that water under the bridge.
I'm very sad that we can't get the Pro Tools if we don't live in the US.
My only criticism is the research question. If that research question is too narrow one could lose themselves in this rabbit hole forever and, yet, with no success. I have a family story that meets this criteria. My great-grandfather was murdered by his wife (his second wife… no relation). I never expected to find any info proving this. But it would be nice to at least find some general info on this. Problem is, it’s a vague search, since I’m not expecting any murder mystery search. Sadly, Newspapers has NO records of THE most historical records in the entire US (Plymouth County US… No Cape Cod Times, No Standards Times, etc). Sooooo, for all their billions of records, it may still not be enough. In fact, these databases lack some of the most historic records (New England) in existence. I appreciate their desire to expand the database to satisfy those with other roots. But just from statistics alone, most researchers would trace their roots to this geographical region. So, their lack of resources from this region is quite significant.
My advice to Ancestry and their collaborators: Be smarter in your database uploads. New England and Virginia should take top priority.
Dear Connie, lovely presentation as usual. Could I ask a question? I was unable to find a definitive description as to how Ancestry differentiates maternal and paternal DNA. They quote a "Sideways view" I couldn't find out what that entails. In my mind the maternal and paternal chromosomes are differentiated by a different pattern of gene switches (e.g. methyl groups): and I can't see that Ancestry can test this by chopping up the DNA to test for 500,000 SNP/SNVs. So of course my question is "what is a Sideways View?" (Hopefully something not too mathematical.) I recently did a presentation for our family history group which mainly covered DNA testing. This time, as more members have been tested there were a lot of questions about DNA. Luckily not involving the "Sideways View."
I think you're referring to Ancestry's new SideView®. See this video. czcams.com/video/0gyQIwDgabY/video.html
My biggest wall I hit trying to find out my past is a pay wall kinda sucks wanting to know what native tribe my family comes from and having no money 😕
Native American history is a challenge. Most of it is oral history. Try FamilySearch and WikiTree.
If I had to watch this video all over again (applying same theme as this video), I would run my cursor over the timeline to see the chapter headings. Saved me 15 minutes of boring information and advertisements. I use Ancestry in conjunction with Family Tree Maker. I already do all the other stuff organized in digital files with binders of hard copies of official documents/photos/research notes. But I did learn something from this video. Thank you.
Thanks for the feedback.
Great information even for us "old timers"
Glad you enjoyed it
One of my biggest tips is to cite/link your SOURCES! So often people don't. When I see a name, date, place, etc, the first thing I think is, "Where's the proof?" Otherwise, you wonder if this is my person, or why does that date differ from the one I have, etc, and you can determine which is valid. Even if the source is Great-Aunt Mabel's memory, that let's you know where you got that snippet of info, and whether it's trustworthy.
Be very cautious about using Ancestry's family trees. I see so many trees where the data (often wrong) is just copied from one tree to another. Again -- SOURCES! Where did they get this? Can you trust it? If they do have sources linked (such as a public record), go back and link it directly yourself. Good documentation can save you from going down someone else's family tree.
Love it... "Where's the proof?"
Thank you for all you do
You are so welcome
Thank you. Very informative. Thanks for the reminders of "what to do". It helped me refocus. Keep sharing. I like your format, your voice, and content.
You are so welcome!
This was such a helpful video! You are wonderful. I’m about 6 months into this, very small disjointed family so it’s been exciting and extremely frustrating to piece it together. My paid membership is about to expire, things are tight financially, will I still be able to do some basic research for free or will I lose all the tools on ancestry if I don’t renew?
To the best of my knowledge you will only lose access to some of the records. The pointers to those records will still be there, you just won’t be able to see them until you reinstate your membership. Your tree is still available for you to use.
My local library offers access to Ancestry while at the library. You might check into your local library to see if they have a subscription for in-library use.
Ancestry tree report printing is the pits. You cannot get a good tree report. I switch and sync on Family Tree Maker to get a useable printed report.
About DNA Testing... Have you done any videos on managing the DNA tests for relatives who aren't interested in doing it? I'm hoping to get my husband's grandma to test. (She is currently 101 years old! 😃🎉)
I'm also hoping to get some more of my maternal relatives to test. (My father has tested, but his DNA profile is managed by a 1st cousin 1R... so I would like to ask them to make me manager of his DNA profile, if more than 1 person can be manager?)
Thanks for what you do!
I've talked about it in various episodes. Perhaps you can approach it like this... the DNA work we are doing today is like being the pioneers of our ancestors as they explored the new frontier. DNA research for genealogy is at its infancy and the more we can get our oldest generations to test, the more beneficial it will be to our future generations. Think about what the DNA world will be like 200 years from now. They will be grateful for the DNA work we're doing today. Consumer DNA testing has only been around for 10 years... so it's like we are the pioneers exploring the new world.
Thank you for this "starting over" video. Starting over is something that I have been contemplating.
Have a blessed weekend!
Well I don't recommend starting over... I was just saying if I did, this is what I would do. You likely have done some great work. Just verify what you have done.
@@GenealogyTV Thank you for your kind comment. I understood that and I appreciate you sharing this with us very much. :)
If I start over, I won't be getting rid of anything that I have already done. Those trees would remain intact. I would just start a new tree and document as I go, which I didn't know to do when I first started all those 40+ years ago as a young teenager.
This new tree would combine the families of my mother, bio father, and the daddy who raised me all into one documented, verified family tree. Well, as best as I can document it, considering there are no legal records showing my bio father to be my bio father. There's only the AncestryDNA test.
It has also been shared with me that starting with a blank slate could help me to unlock my stubborn brick wall. I'm willing to try most anything to do that.
I would also start the research notes with this new tree, as you've shown in your videos. Up to this point, I have been keeping notes in the Notes section of the tree profiles, but your idea seems better overall. I could have the notes in both places.
Thank you for your encouragement. :)
That’s a subjective argument because now we have so many of the tools we did not have 30 years ago, when I started. I would have a very accurate family tree going back several generations now with all the available records that we had to use the right two, and we had a bug or family members for stuff that we can now just get online or order
Can you imagine that? If we had the tools 45 years ago when I started... that we have today... how far back our trees would be?
Wonderful thanks
Thx
I am a new member and I have been unable to find any of the "Show Notes" / "Handouts" you talk about in your videos. Can you please give me some guidance on where to find them
Go to the Community tab for the handouts. If you are an Info Access level member you will see them posted as links in the blog posts that say HANDOUT. For other notes they are right below in the description box the videos but you will need to click see more. Thanks for supporting GTV.
For Me as Euroopean My Heritage is more "base" than Ancestry . I have chance to compare. Historian
Ancestry can be a good source if you've got a WASP family. I don't mean that in a bad way, but if you have eastern European family, their records aren't all that good. Also, unless you have a private tree on Ancestry, people can and do abscond with your information even though you know it doesn't belong. I've had people put my grandparents in their tree.
Does ancestry still claim rights in perpetuity for any and all of your content and pics?
Yes, I believe so. I think their position is not so much ownership rights, but the right to share since they don't have control over who imports content you upload to your public tree.
Hi there! Just came across your channel, thank you for the tips! I'm wondering if you know of resources for people whose family isn't primarily American? Much of my family is from Spain and I have no idea how to start, even though I'm fluent in Spanish. Are their genealogy communities for other countries? Thanks!
Start with Ancestry. Also go to FamilySearch.org/wiki and drill into the map to Spain. Their you’ll find resources with hyperlinks.
I email Find a Grave and they said Ancestry "does not own Find a Grave." They cooperate with Ancestry, but they don't own it.
Humm…
According to the Ancestry corporate blog Ancestry acquired them in 2013.
Please show a simple and actual (family) tree
I do most of the time.
Thx Connie. Great advice. I’d like your opinion on how far should we drill down on relatives. For example I’ve got a 3rd cousin 3x removed who was a prime minister of Australia. One of my connections thru ancestry told me. Then another connection told me she wouldn’t waste her time going down that far. What is your view? Im confused and would appreciate your guidance. Thx.
First of all... work backwards starting with yourself... working back toward ancestors. I use descendants research for the purpose of connecting, sharing, and DNA work... so we can find the common ancestors. So to answer your question, I only go as far as I need to given my current research question/project. So if I'm looking for a great grandfather, I'm going to study the siblings and descendants far enough to help me verify links and DNA connections.
The word is Genealogy not Geneology !!