Focus Your Research with Research Questions

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your family history research? Chasing leads that seem to go nowhere? Trying to decide what to do next?

When you’re researching thousands of people across hundreds of locations over centuries, it’s easy to get lost. Well-written research questions can give you a focus, save you time, and improve the accuracy of your family history.

This post was originally published in December 2021 and last updated on 11 August 2025

What is a Research Question?

A genealogy research question is a clear, specific query that identifies a person, group, or event and the information you need about them. Think of it as your research target.

Example: “Who was the mother of my great-great-grandmother Sophia Jane Webb (born c.1840, died 1931 in Gunnedah, NSW)?”

Notice how this question:

• Identifies the specific person clearly
• States exactly what information is needed
• Includes enough detail to avoid confusion with other family members.

Why Research Questions Support Your Genealogy

Well-formed research questions are powerful tools that:

• Keep you focused and get you back on track when you get distracted by interesting information
• Guide your source selection by helping you identify which sources and repositories you should examine
• Shape how you interpret evidence by giving you a clear framework for analysing what you find
• Measure progress towards your genealogy goals and objectives
• Save time and money by preventing you from ordering duplicate copies or searching irrelevant sources.

The Anatomy of a Good Research Question

Effective research questions share three essential characteristics:

1. Specific and unambiguous

• Poor: “Find information about John Smith”
• Better: “When and where was John Smith (my great-grandfather, died 1932 in Melbourne) born?”

2. Focused on information, not sources

• Poor: “Find John Smith’s birth certificate”
• Better: “What was John Smith’s birthdate and birthplace?”

3. Includes identifying details

• Always include enough biographical information to distinguish your ancestor from others with the same name
• Use dates, places, relationships, and unique identifier numbers when possible.

Research Questions in Action

Here’s a complete example:

Background: You know your great-great-grandmother was Sophia Jane Webb, who died in 1931 in Gunnedah, NSW. Sources suggest she was born around 1840, but you can’t find her baptism record.

Research Question: “Who were the parents of Sophia Jane Squires (born Sophia Jane Webb, c.1840, partnered with Samuel Hen in c1866, died 1931 in Gunnedah, NSW)?”

How this question helps:

• Sources to search: Marriage records, death certificates, newspaper obituaries, cemetery records in NSW, DNA evidence
• Repositories: NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages, Trove newspaper database, local cemetery records, DNA testing companies
• What to look for: Parents’ names, places of origin, family connections, DNA matches.

Supporting Your Research Questions

For best results, document:

• Background information: What you already know about the person
• Why the question matters: How answering it will advance your research goals
• Previous research: What you’ve already tried and what you’ve ruled out.

This context helps you avoid repeating unsuccessful searches and guides other researchers who might help you.

Organising Your Research Questions

You don’t need to limit yourself to one question at a time, but you do need to prioritise them. Consider these options:

• Research plans (formal planning documents)
• Excel spreadsheets (great for tracking status and priority)
• Family history software task lists (keeps questions linked to specific people)
• Simple to-do lists (perfect for getting started).

Choose the system that matches how you already organise your research.

Building Your Research Foundation

Research questions are the foundation of effective genealogy research planning. They transform overwhelming family history research into manageable, focused investigations or projects.

Ready to dive deeper? Explore the rest of this series:

• Three Ways to Generate Family History Research Questions — Practical methods for creating research questions from your family tree
• Asking the Right Family History Research Questions — How to evaluate and prioritise your questions
• Managing Your Research Questions — Systems for organising, tracking, and reviewing your research questions
• Using Hypotheses in Family History — Techniques for testing theories about your ancestors

Start converting your research objectives into specific research questions. You’ll be amazed at how much more focused and productive your family history research becomes.

Want More Detailed Guidance?

This post provides the fundamentals of research questions, but there’s much more to learn about effective genealogy research planning. For comprehensive guidance on research questions, hypotheses, problem-solving strategies, and advanced research techniques, see my book The Good Genealogist.

For more of my articles about planning your family history, go to the Plan page.

About the Author

Danielle Lautrec is a genealogy educator, researcher, and author of The Good Genealogist. With qualifications in history, family history, and historical archaeology, she teaches for the Society of Australian Genealogists.