Starting Without a Plan or Goals
Genealogy is both a hobby and an art, with a range and depth that is sometimes underestimated by beginning genealogists. The number of ancestors to search multiplies quickly: in just 5 generations there are 32 ancestors, and if you also choose to trace their siblings or children, the number gets exponentially high. There is also a multitude of data you can collect, including photos, life stories, copies of vital records, and so on. To ensure you don’t burn out, and to make your research as efficient as possible, it is essential to know the goal of your research before you start: decide who you want to find and what you want to know.
Haphazard Research and Lack of Documentation
Piecing together your family tree is like unraveling a mystery from various clues. Sometimes, it takes more than one look before you make that vital connection. As such, it is critical that you keep an organized record of your research and document the clues you’ve found, so that you can easily find that birth certificate or that family surname thread again for re-inspection. There are multiple resources for documenting your findings; use it and you’ll thank yourself later.
Insisting Upon a Pure Spelling of the Name
It is so annoying when someone spells your name wrong. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, and it shouldn’t prevent you from searching alternate spellings of your surname, either. Those who create public records or transcribe and index them for research are human, so mistakes do happen. What’s more, it is possible that your surname has evolved over time and changed quite drastically when your ancestor immigrated to the U.S. So swallow that pride and be flexible—it may be the difference between a blank spot on your tree and a page full of information.
Letting Others Decide the Authenticity of Your Tree
Tracing your family history can get murky at times, and you may be tempted to rely on another person’s tip or an existing family tree that seems to fit your clues. It is important, however, to find out for yourself how reliable and accurate that information is. Be critical: question your sources (even your relatives) and your conclusions. A good strategy is to consult multiple resources. If you’ve heard information from relatives, find multiple public records that corroborate. You can search public records on your own or use a paid service that provides easy access to family history records. Or if you’ve found resources online, go offline for clues to confirm those findings, like graves or obituary microfilms.
Not Backing Up Your Data—in Multiple Places
After a couple of years of research, you are ready to put it into a beautiful book. Just as you click print, the power goes out, your computer dies, and all of your information is lost. Sound like a cliché? Don’t let yourself become one. Back up your data early, often, and in multiple ways: Put it online, print it, email it to fellow researchers, put it on an external hard drive, put it on another computer. You don’t have to lose your precious data, as long as you’re vigilant about backing it up.
Knowing these potential pitfalls, you are already well on your way to a fulfilling and disaster-free journey into the depths of genealogy research.
