Gettin Started - Workflow question

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Hi, I am re-starting my family tree journey after a 2 year break. I was a complete novice then and am not too far further along the track now.

Have you found a good method to build your family knowledge? Do you concentrate on one person first, one family or just whatever comes up?

I spent a few hours last night just clicking through tips on ancestry.com and this morning I am regretting it a little as it was very productive but only with hearsay (I didn't check all the references so now have to go back and do it all again anyway)

So today I have given myself the challenge of doing this right, hence this message.

Should I join a club? Is it best to find a mentor? Should I work with someone with similar family interests?

Or perhaps is it best just to jump in, post a lookup request or head to the library (difficult atm with infants in tow)?

I will post a lookup request shorty, but any tips on actually getting started in good old South Australia would be great.

cheers

shaun

[danuslave]

Hi shaun & welcome to RootsChat

I think everybody does it differently - which, of course, is no help at all   

I'm sure you're already aware of the wisdom of talking to living relatives and getting as much info as possible from them.

And you've already discovered that you should always make a note of where information came from.  It's surprising how quickly you forget, especially as you get older!

I would also recommend using FH software right from the start, even if you can't actually link everyone together at first.  It's really tedious entering loads of data in when you get further down the line.

There are lots of packages that have free downloads to try, and these might be all you need for some time.  My personal favourite is Legacy, available at

http://legacyfamilytree.com/Index.asp

When you get certificates or other paper records, log the information and file them as soon as possible.  I didn't, and now have boxes full of paper to sort out 

Personally, I would start with one person and follow the trail until it goes cold (or I get bored).  You should also decide quite early on whether or not you are going to trace just the main line or all the offshoots.  I go for the offshoots, mostly because I'm nosey, but they can sometimes give you clues that you would otherwise miss.  Unfortunately, you also collect a lot of data very quickly.

As for working with other people, it depends on whether you are interested in a 'finished' tree, or the actual process of finding things out for yourself.  You should always cross-check what you find (as much as possible) and never, ever, fully believe what someone else tells you unless you can check it for yourself.

The people here on RC are really helpful and have all sorts of skills that you will probably find useful in the future.  Never be afraid to ask questions, however dumb they sound.  We all had to start somewhere and most of us are still learning   

Good luck with it all

Linda

PS And I'm sure you have skills and knowledge that you can use to help other people 

[alison2763]

Hi Shaun,
How long is a piece of string ?
Every one probably has different methods of both researching and recording their Family History.
The main things to remember are:
Start with what you know { usually your parents} and work from there.
Ask your relatives everything they know about your family.
Find sources to Verify every person you find.
Don't expect to be able to find everything you need on the Internet or free of charge,
sometimes you have to purchase "evidence"- Birth, death and marriage certificates, Wills etc.

Good luck with your research.
Give us some names { and approx dates} and we will see what we can come up with.
When posting give as much information on the person you have. Even seemingly insignificant information can sometimes give clues.  

regards
Alison