Family history, or genealogy, is the unique process of looking through records to find information about your relatives and using those records to link individuals to other generations. The primary rule of genealogy is to work deductively- so from the known all the way to the unknown. This is usually done to avoid attaching the wrong person to your family tree, and the following steps explain the genealogical process in greater detail to help you conduct a successful genealogical search.
Identify What You Know
The first step to beginning genealogical research is to identify what is already evident to you. Take the important pieces of genealogical information such as relationships, names and dates of birth. The best way to do this is to speak to your relatives about what they remember from their past, as they will most likely know a lot of useful information that they would love to share with you. They will bring you a lot closer to putting together your family tree.
Write Down All the Information You Know
Interview Your Relatives
Gather Additional Information
Decide What You Want to Learn
Prepare the Research Questions
Identify Genealogy Resources for Getting Started
Search the Records with Genealogical Information
Visit Genealogy Websites
Join Genealogical Societies
Take a DNA test
Organise Your Records
The search may be long, but with the help of your own family, websites, documents, and archives, you will be able to achieve exactly what you have set out to accomplish!
You can read more on How to Start Your Genealogy Research in Treemily Blog. Enjoy!