Good genealogists produce family histories that are accurate, comprehensive and well-documented.
To achieve this, researchers must:
- apply a scholarly and systematic approach to research
- develop their skills and knowledge, and gather tools and techniques
- critically analyse sources, information and evidence to reach reasonable and defensible conclusions
- conduct effective searching to find the best sources that are relevant to the research questions
- strive for accuracy and objectivity
- build a body of evidence to support or refute a conclusion
- collaborate with other researchers and share their research findings to contribute to the body of knowledge about the past.
Read my articles:
This section of the website is divided into pages based on the chapters of my book, The Good Genealogist. There is also a page devoted to DNA.
Click on a heading below to go to a page containing information about the topic, links to related blog posts and other resources.
Research planning is guaranteed to improve the quality of your family history. Develop your planning skills and learn tools and techniques to prioritise your efforts, reduce duplication, identify tasks that need to be completed and achieve research success.
Good research is critical because a failure to examine the right sources can lead to incorrect or disputable conclusions. Develop your research skills and learn tools and techniques help you find the sources, information and evidence that you need.
The accuracy of our interpretation and therefore the accuracy of our family history rests on our analytical skills. Develop your analytical skills and learn tools and techniques to conduct more effective searches, choose the best sources, select the best evidence.
Good documentation facilitates our research and helps us process what we have discovered. It is also through documentation that we construct our view of family history. Develop your documentation skills and learn tools and techniques for citing sources, note taking and sharing your research with others.
Taking a systematic approach to family history requires being well organised. Develop your organisational skills and learn tools and techniques to organise your research, the information that you find and the documents that you create.
Like any system, the systems that you use for family history need to be maintained to function smoothly. Develop your maintenance skills and learn tools and techniques to maintain your systems and documentation for further research.
DNA
DNA evidence should be used to supplement documentary evidence to help support conclusions about identity and biological relationships. Develop your knowledge and skills for using DNA in family history, and learn techniques for planning, research, analysis, documentation, organising and maintenance of DNA data.
Read the article: Six ways to find an article on my website
Need more?
There are tons of tips, tools and techniques in my blog posts, but if you want more you might like to buy a copy of my book, The Good Genealogist.
I also teach two online research methods courses through the Society of Australian Genealogists.