Marie Dougan, a professional genealogist based in Scotland, discusses what genealogy databases actually are and how they work. Examples are given and we are walked through several aspects of searching …
A wildcard is a character that substitutes for another character or string of characters when searching a database. A ‘character’ in this context is a letter, number or graphic symbol …
A surname is an identifier passed down through generations. The use of these is a fairly recent phenomenon, and arose from the need to distinguish two individuals with the same …
Both first and last names can be pronounced and spelt a variety of ways…none of which are incorrect, they are just different. However, these differences can cause havoc for genealogists …
This video presentation discusses a few different approaches to family history research which you may not have come across or considered using. We’ll be having a look at the FAN …
As we’ve said elsewhere, keep track of what you’ve found and what you haven’t found by taking notes or keeping a research log. Make a timeline of events – this …
This video introduces the notion of approaching research in a systematic fashion and outlines how to create a research strategy. The importance of defining research questions is emphasised: who do …
This week we’ll be getting you to define what it is you are actually searching for and we’ll consider the many challenges names can cause. After completing this week you …
Graham and Emma Maxwell run a genealogy research company based in Scotland called Scottish Indexes. They began transcribing Scottish censuses in 2001 and realising that these resources would be useful …
The information from primary sources we use is often presented to us as transcriptions, abstracts and often can be searched through the use of indexes. Commercial bodies, volunteer organizations and …
This video will cover the depth of direct and indirect information documents can provide and consider the evaluation of data and clues within documents. We’ll also explore potential problems with …
Learning about a source can reveal a great deal and can provide you with a wealth of information on the data you find on your ancestors. It can also help …
Genealogists use different types of sources to find the information needed to build their family trees; these are primary, derived primary and secondary sources. Primary and Derived Primary Sources A …
This video introduces the idea of basing research in documented data rather than hearsay. We cover what documentary evidence is, consider what primary and secondary sources are and find out …
These are the basics of where to start with family history research that every beginner’s guide will tell you. However, it would be remiss of us to leave it out …