What you need to know when starting family history

You’ve decided to start researching your family history. Great decision! It’s the beginning of a fascinating journey that will connect you with your ancestors and help you understand the forces that shaped your family’s story.

But before diving into research techniques, you need to understand what family history really is, what approaches work best, and how to set yourself up for long-term success. That’s what this guide covers.

This article explains the difference between genealogy and family history, outlines best-practice research approaches, and introduces the methods and ethical considerations needed to build an accurate and meaningful family history.

What is family history?

Simply put, family history is the practice of researching the history of your ancestors.

But that’s where things get interesting, and sometimes confusing. People use different approaches and different terms to describe them. Let’s unpack the most important distinctions.

The lineage approach (traditional genealogy)

The lineage approach focuses on your direct-line ancestors: people you descended from—parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on. Researchers collect basic details like names, dates and places of birth, marriage and death.

This was once the standard method. It’s still used by beginners or those with only casual interest, and it’s what you’ll see in many online family trees.

A variation of this approach is used in medical research, where direct blood relationships matter. This is called ‘family health history’.

The problem? The lineage approach often leads to incomplete and inaccurate research. I call it tree building rather than genuine family history.

The history approach (modern family history)

The history approach expands beyond direct ancestors to include broader family connections and the historical context in which people lived. It’s considered best practice because it creates a richer, more accurate understanding of the past.

Why does this work better?

Families aren’t just parents and children. Understanding your ancestors means exploring how the broader family related to each other and discovering their life stories.

Extended research improves accuracy. The FFANs method (Family, Friends, Associates, Neighbours) helps you gather more evidence. For example, your uncle’s birth certificate might contain information about your grandparents that wasn’t included in your father’s certificate.

Historical context may explain family decisions. Understanding the places your family lived and events they experienced may reveal why they made choices like migrating to a different country.

Like many people, I follow the history approach, but I use the two terms, ‘genealogy’ and ‘family history’ interchangeably.

Genetic genealogy

The use of DNA in family history is sometimes called ‘genetic genealogy’.

DNA testing has become an important part of family history research. While it requires specialised knowledge, so do other methods like interpreting photographs or conducting oral history interviews.

The key point: DNA is one type of evidence in family history. It is not an alternative research method.

Who counts as family?

This is one of the most common questions I’m asked, and the answer is personal to you.

You define the scope of your family history research. This could include:

• adoptive parents and their ancestors—if they raised you, they shaped your story
• foster parents, especially long-term carers
• step-parents and step-siblings
• close family friends who were like family
• broader community connections.

There are no hard rules. Include whoever you consider family in some meaningful way.

Understanding historical research methods

Family history is historical research. We gather information from sources, assess their reliability, and interpret them to reconstruct a picture of the past.

Your sources might include:

• written records (birth certificates, census returns, church registers)
• oral histories
• photographs and heirlooms
• DNA results
• archaeological evidence.

The first step in any family history is establishing who your family members are and how they’re related. That’s why we rely on birth, death and marriage records—official sources, usually produced by governments or churches, that are more likely to be accurate. These help us establish identity and relationships.

But not everything is in official records, and not all sources are online. Some have been lost, and others are held in archives, libraries or private collections. Be prepared to explore a wide range of sources to piece together the story.

Remember: history is interpretation. It’s not facts. We build interpretations from evidence, but that evidence can be incomplete or biased.

What you call ‘family history’ is influenced by your sources, your analysis, and even your values and interests. That’s part of the attraction. It’s your version of your family’s story.

Five fundamental principles for success

1. Start with yourself

You may want to start with your grandparents because you “know” they’re family. But assumptions can be wrong. I discovered late in life that my father was adopted.

Start with what you know about yourself and work backwards. This helps you avoid assumptions and build on reliable information.

2. Use the best sources available

The strength of your conclusions depends on the range of sources you use and their quality. Learn what sources exist, where to find them, and how to choose those that provide the best information. And, don’t forget to use both online and offline family history sources.

3. Think critically about every source

Never assume any source is completely accurate, even official ones. Compare multiple sources and evaluate how likely each is to be correct.

Information can vary between sources. For example, “James McDonald” might appear as “Jas MacDonell” in another record and “Jim Macdonald” in a third. Common causes are:

• Spelling variations
• Nicknames
• Transcription errors
• Intentional misinformation.

Be ready to change your conclusions when new evidence emerges.

4. Work systematically

Structure improves both efficiency and accuracy. It minimises unnecessary duplication and increases the chance of finding the evidence you need.

Follow a clear research process, use planning tools, and document your work to avoid duplication.

5. Prepare for surprises

Family history often reveals unexpected discoveries. Some may be fascinating; others may be challenging or even distressing.

You might uncover criminal records, unknown children, different ethnic backgrounds than expected, or family secrets. DNA can reveal that presumed parents weren’t biological ones. You might discover traumatic events like murder or suicide.

Plan how you’ll handle sensitive discoveries before you encounter them. Consider asking relatives whether they want to know difficult information before sharing it.

The Society of Australian Genealogists has a code of conduct and ethics that provides a useful guide. Another example is the Genetic Genealogy Standards.

What makes this journey worthwhile

Family history is both rewarding and challenging. It’s a skill you develop over time. The more you learn, the better your research becomes.

Important reality check: Family history is rarely something you “complete.” Many beginners expect to finish in a few weekends or a few months. The reality is different. As you find new evidence and re-evaluate assumptions, your family history grows and changes.

It’s an ongoing process of discovery, not a final product.

Good family history is accurate, comprehensive, and well-documented. You don’t have to do it all alone, and you don’t have to do it all at once.

What’s next?

This article introduced the foundation knowledge you need. The next articles in this series will address the practical questions that follow.

Family history research is more fun and rewarding when you share the experience with others. Find out how in 12 Ways to Collaborate in Family History.