Use the internet for family history research

Introduction
The Internet is a rich source of family history information. Many Web sites have been created to provide help and information. Without leaving your home, you can find research guides; maps; family histories; birth, marriage, and death records; and many other resources. Valuable information about your ancestors is most likely available on the Internet. So how can you find it? This lesson will introduce you to basic Internet research strategies and some of the best research tools currently available online.

Internet Genealogy Tools and Links
The amount, scope, and availability of genealogical information on the Internet is amazing. On the Internet you may be able to access images of your great-grandfather’s military records, find a family Bible, or connect with distant relatives. The following online genealogy tools and resources will help you sift through the vast amount of information on the Internet and find the information most valuable to you.

Search Engines
Search engines are some of the most powerful genealogical tools available. An Internet search engine is like a catalog or index to the Web sites available on the Internet. To use a search engine, go to the search engine Web site and enter one or more search terms (the words or phrases that best describe the information you want to find) into the search box. In response, the search engine produces a list of Web pages related to the search terms.

Search engines are not designed specifically for genealogy; they search for whatever words you enter into the search box. By entering the right words into a search engine, you may find Web sites that have cemetery records, pictures, Family Bibles, family organizations, and much more that you didn’t know existed. If you do not find what you are searching for, remember that every day people post new information on the Internet. Search again later for the same information.

Which Search Engine Should You Use?
Not all search engines are equally useful. Some index the first few sentences of a Web page only. Others index every word. No search engine indexes everything on the Internet. The following are some of the better search engines for genealogy:


 * www.google.com
 * www.yahoo.com
 * www.msn.com
 * www.ask.com
 * www.altavista.com

What Search Terms Should You Use?
Choosing the right search terms will help you find the information you need. Start with the obvious—if you’re looking for general information on Alexander Welch, type "Alexander Welch” in the search field. If you include quotation marks around your search terms in the search box, the search engine will look only for that exact phrase. If you do not include quotation marks, the search engine will look for Web pages that include both “Alexander” and “Welch,” although not necessarily as part of the same name.

You can use multiple search terms to narrow your search, especially if you are searching for a common name, such as John Williams or David Smith. When searching for a common family name, try adding words or phrases such as “genealogy,” “family history,” or “was born” after the name. Place-names, years, record types, names of other family members, and so on can help narrow your search. For example, you could type “Alexander Welch” and “Jefferson County, Illinois.” Or you could type “Alexander Welch” and “census” or “Alexander Welch” and “Anne Protsman.”

Directory Sites
An Internet directory site is a categorized and cross-referenced index of links to other Web sites. Genealogy directories are a great way to find links to some of the best genealogical research sites and online databases. The directories listed below are a few of the most helpful genealogy directories:


 * Cyndi’s List (www.cyndislist.com) contains links to specific records and Web sites for finding people, places, and dates. You can search the index alphabetically or by topic or by using the site’s search engine.
 * Genealogy.com (www.genealogy.com/links/) contains links to Web sites organized by subject.
 * Genealogylinks.net (www.genealogylinks.net) consists of many free genealogy links for the United States and several other countries. You can browse the list of links by region.

Compiled Information
Many individuals and families have placed genealogical information on the Internet containing the names of deceased ancestors. It is generally a good research strategy to begin your Internet research by seeing if someone else has already compiled information about your ancestor.

Compiled records include family histories, online family trees, and local histories (county, state, and so on). Compiled information is usually based on information found in original records, such as birth, marriage, or death certificates. Because errors can be introduced when information is compiled from original records, the original records are often more reliable than compiled records. For explanation, see Expert Tip on page 3.

Compiled information provides a good starting point for your research and often includes many clues of where to look for new information. Whenever possible, however, you should try to corroborate information you find on the Internet with other records.

Online Family Trees
Online family trees are searchable family databases, often displayed as pedigree charts and family group records. They have been posted on the Internet by individuals and organizations throughout the world and often contain many generations of a lineage and include valuable dates and even cite sources for that information. These are some of the best sites for finding online family trees:


 * FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org) is the official family history Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is always free. Here you can find online family trees in the Ancestral File and the Pedigree Resource File.
 * RootsWeb (www.rootsweb.com) is a free genealogy site. Be sure to click the Family Trees link before you begin your search for online family trees.
 * Ancestry (www.ancestry.com) is currently the largest commercial family history site and charges a fee for access to most of its information. Some areas of the site are available for free, however, including the Ancestry World Tree (www.ancestry.com/trees/awt), an online family tree. You can also access some of the fee-based content free at all family history centers. To find a family history center, go to www.familysearch.org and find the shaded area titled Find a Family History Center Near Your Home. Enter the state where you reside in the appropriate field, and click OK.
 * OneGreatFamily (www.onegreatfamily.com) is a fee-based online database. After you enter what you already know about your ancestors, this automated search engine will continually look for additional information and additional ancestors and notify you when additional information is received.
 * MyTrees (www.mytrees.com) (formerly KindredKonnections) is a fee-based online family tree. However, you can also obtain access by performing a service for the company. The Web site has a large online family tree, which contains information submitted by individuals around the world, but a large concentration of contributors is from Utah.

Family Web Sites
Web sites put together by individuals or families can also contain valuable compiled information. You can find many of these pages by entering a family name in a search engine. If you have a common family name, add search terms such as “genealogy” or “family history” to your family name in the search box. The following Web sites are also great resources for finding family Web sites:


 * RootsWeb (www.rootsweb.com) Click Web sites, and then look alphabetically for your family name.
 * FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org) Click Search, and then click Search Family History Web sites to begin your search.
 * Ggenealogy.com Family Finder (www.genealogy.com/ifftop.html) Enter the name of the ancestor you are seeking. In the results, click Family Web sites to take advantage of this index to thousands of Web sites that include family Web pages. The websites are listed under other sources. You must register to use this Web site. Registration is free.

Online Books
Another way to find compiled information is through books that have been scanned and posted online. These books may include family histories, biographies, and local histories. Because full-text searching is often available, you may be able to find a reference to your ancestor in a book that may have been more difficult to find if you were just reading the book. The following sites are great resources for online genealogy books:


 * BYU Family History Archive (www.lib.byu.edu/fhc) contains online images of published family history books from theFamily History Library and BYU.
 * Google book search (books.google.com) contains books scanned by several large research libraries. You can view all the pages of books in the public domain, but if a book is still protected by copyright, only limited access is given.
 * HeritageQuest Online (www.heritagequestonline.com) contains thousands of books and other online collections. These resources are completely searchable.

Original Records
After searching compiled information to see what other researchers may have already discovered about your ancestor, you can verify that information and add to it by using original records or record indexes available online.

Original records contain both primary and secondary information (see the definition for primary and secondary records in the glossary). For example, census records are original records. They are secondary sources of birth and marriage information, but they are primary sources of information regarding where a family or individual lived at the time of the census.

The chart below shows the time period covered by some types of original records. It also lists what information you might glean from those records and gives links to Web sites that allow you to access these records. The availability of certain records varies from state to state. This list is not comprehensive.

Reference Tools and Other Helps
You can find hundreds of valuable genealogical reference tools on the Internet, including maps, dictionaries, research guides, and library catalogs.

Maps
Because most records are kept, stored, cataloged, and retrieved according to geographic localities, it is vital to know precisely where your ancestor lived. Keep in mind that older maps may also be very important in genealogical research. Be careful to look at the date of maps you use, because boundaries may have changed from the time when your ancestor lived there. You may want to use a gazetteer first to determine where the place is located and then go to the appropriate map. Excellent resources for maps on the Internet include:


 * Search engines (images.google.com). Enter a place-name with the word “map,” and available maps are often quicklydisplayed. For example, if you are researching in New York, you could enter “New York maps” in the search box. Or if you want a more specific map, you might want to try something like “colonial New York maps” or “New York counties map” as search terms. There are also Web sites made specifically for maps, such as www.mapblast.com and www.mapquest.com.
 * Geographic Names Information System (geonames.usgs.gov/). This Web site links to specific maps. Search for populated places, rivers, mountains, woods, and geographic features, including schools. This site is especially helpful when you are looking for historic places or for places with names that have been changed over the years. If you find a match for your query, links to a number of maps may be displayed as well as aerial photographic images and information on the topography.

Gazetteers
A gazetteer is a dictionary or index of place-names. Gazetteers often provide a brief history of a place and can assist in narrowing down the location of a place-name. For example, you may find a record stating your ancestor was born in New Paltz, but you are not sure what state New Paltz is in. A national gazetteer might locate New Paltz in Ulster County, New York.


 * Geographic Names Information System (geonames.usgs.gov/). Besides providing maps, this site also provides ahelpful gazetteer. It identifies the U.S. state or territory where a place is located and provides a brief history and a list of name variations. This site is especially helpful when the names of places have changed over time.
 * Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online (www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/vocabularies/tgn/). This online gazetteer is useful for identifying the jurisdiction for a place, such as a county in the United States. It will help you if you know the name of a city but not its county. It also lists historical name variants for a place. It does not include listings for smaller places.

How to Guides
Research outlines, step-by-step guides, and research guidance are available at www.familysearch.org for hundreds of worldwide locations and topics. Click the Library tab at the top of the page. Next click Education, and then click Family History Library Publications or Research Guidance (see next page).

Genealogy Courses
A selection of classes and courses that may help you in your efforts are listed below. They may be useful for general knowledge or for tutorials to assist in specific types of research.


 * Introduction to Family History (261.byu.edu). This Web site has an eight-part introductory course in family history,based on resources available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It teaches how to gather information, enter it on a computer program, do simple research, find library locations, and share information with others.
 * BYU Ancestors (byubroadcasting.org/ancestors/). This Web site is a companion to the Public Broadcasting System family history series named Ancestors. It has information on many family history resources, including sound bites from expert genealogists. It includes a four-part series of lessons.
 * Cyndi’s List Education (www.cyndislist.com/educate.htm). In the education section of Cyndi’s List, you will find a wide selection of resources, including conferences, home study courses, information on accreditation, and many general resources for family history education.
 * Genealogy.com Genealogy Classes (www.genealogy.com/university.html). This site has a wide selection of free genealogy classes. They cover a range of subjects from starting Internet research to tracing immigrant ancestors and European resources. Also found at this site are classes for online research.
 * BYU Independent Study (ce.byu.edu/is/). This Web site is the Brigham Young University Independent Study Web site. Included among many other subjects are a range of free online family history courses. European research is the major focus, along with some basic classes in family history.
 * The National Genealogical Society (www.ngsgenealogy.org). This Web site offers suggestions for beginners and several online courses.

Message Boards.
Genealogy message boards allow you to post and reply to messages from other users and review the flow of a discussion on a particular genealogy topic. Message boards are also known as discussion groups or query databases. You can post and review answers to questions about specific surnames and locations and other research topics. Some message boards are available at:


 * RootsWeb (boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/script/main/rw). This Web site has free message boards. You can search by surname, locality, or topic.
 * GenForum (www.genforum.com/). Using the message boards at genealogy.com you can search by surname, region, and general topics. This site also has a “Forum Finder,” which allows you to find a message board by entering a search term or phrase.
 * Cyndi’s List (www.cyndislist.com/queries.htm). Cyndi’s List has many helpful links to additional message boards.
 * Surname Helper (surhelp.rootsweb.com/srchall.html). This Web site is a surname engine for finding queries and surname registrations posted on various genealogy sites. This is a great way to search thousands of query databases.

Mailing Lists
Mailing lists allow you to participate in or monitor specific genealogical or historical discussions by e-mail. The mailing list system allows people to send e-mail about a particular topic to one address, which is then copied and sent to all of the other subscribers on the mail list. You can join a mailing list to learn more about a specific family, region, and so on. Many mailing lists also have archives that allow you to see past messages. Links to mailing lists are found at:


 * RootsWeb (lists.rootsweb.com/). RootsWeb has thousands of free genealogy mailing lists from which to choose.
 * Cyndi’s List (www.cyndislist.com/mailing.htm). This Web site provides links to many mailing lists.

Expert Tips: If you can’t find a message board or mailing list for your surname or region, consider creating your own!

Other Resources
Other online resources can be useful in your family history work. The following ideas may help:


 * RootsWeb Surname List (rsl.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/rslsql.cgi). RootsWeb lists over one million surnames, with an indication of who is researching those names. You can easily find others working on the same family names from the same areas where your ancestors lived.
 * FamilySearch collaboration lists www.familysearch.org/Eng/Share/Collaborate/frameset_share.asp).
 * Roots Location List (searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/Genea/rll). This tool will help you search places and find others working in the same area. Because this tool does full-text searches, a query for UT (Utah) will retrieve records for Putnam (pUTnam) and other places as well.
 * Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (www.raogk.org). This Web site can help you find a list of volunteers who are willing to help you with your particular research topic without charging for their service.
 * Cyndi’s List (www.cyndislist.com/lookups.htm). This tool can help you find other volunteers and free assistance.
 * Online telephone directories. Get contact information for other researchers from one of these online phone directories:


 * Infobel: www.infobel.com/teldir/
 * Bigfoot: www.bigfoot.com
 * Yahoo! People Search: www.people.yahoo.com/