Getting Started In Genealogy (1)
Genealogy is a great hobby and a wonderful way to find out more about yourself, your family and your local history. It can be daunting, though, especially when you're first starting out. That's why Introduction To Genealogy is here and this article will help you to get started with your research in an organised and successful way.
The Internet And Genealogy
The internet has changed the face of genealogical research. Once upon a time, researching your family tree meant traipsing around the country (sometimes the world), hunting out musty old books from the deepest recesses of cold libraries. Not any more. Though you may still need to do your own offline research too, you should be able to make a good start online.
And it's not only the internet. There are some other great computer-based resources. Most notably, there are amazing family tree software packages that will help you to organise, collate and publish your research. Look out too for directories and collections on CD as the records you're looking for may already be available in electronic form.
Get A Good Idea Of What To Do
There are some great books about genealogy. Start with a basic introduction (try Tracing Your Family History and then focus your reading on the areas that interest you the most.
Once you've got a good overview of genealogical research and how best to trace your family history, you're ready to get stuck in.
Write It Right
The second most important thing in genealogy -- and the most important skill you will need to develop -- is to document your research correctly. Learn and use the conventions of genealogy; use the correct abbreviations and terms; always structure your work in the recognised way. Why? Because you will almost certainly want to share your findings at some point and you can't do that if it's all in some strange short-hand that you developed for yourself and no one else.
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