Imagine sitting down with your morning coffee, ready to dive into your family history, only to realize you have just 15 or 30 minutes before rushing off to _______ (you fill in the blank). For many of us balancing work, family, and other commitments makes it hard to find time for genealogy research.
In this blog post, we’ll explore efficient research strategies even if you only have minutes to spare.
Let’s face it. Who has the time to sit for hours on end doing genealogy? Not many (and if you do…woohoo!) We usually have just a few minutes here and there to fit in our research.
If this sounds like you, don’t despair…you can make significant progress on your family history by doing research in small chunks.
Before You Start
Sometimes, it’s hard to know how long something will take to get done. Staying organized in your genealogy research is the key to making this work. Before you start consider the following:
- Do you have a research question and a research plan? If not, do these things first. These two important items will help keep you focused on the task at hand.
- Is your project too big for one research session? Break down bigger projects into smaller pieces that could be accomplished in small time blocks.
- Are you consistent with your research time? Make an appointment with yourself once a day or once a week to tackle the items on your list.
- Do you have an organized note-keeping system? Keep a notepad (digital or paper) handy with lists of things you know will only take a short amount of time.
- Are you able to have your genealogy with you at all times? Keep your genealogy software on your phone or tablet. The next time you are waiting for an appointment, check something off your list.
Ok, now you’re ready to go. Here are some suggestions for what you can get done in 15 – 30 minutes:
Document Review and Organization:
Review a census record for missing family members: Take a quick look at census records to gather information about your ancestors’ residences, family members, occupations, and more. Remember to write this information down in your note-keeping system.
Review Family Photos: Examine old family photos to identify individuals, locations, and events, and make a note of what you find. If there are photos you can’t figure out quickly, put them aside for a larger block of time.
Document Preservation: Spend time preserving old family photos, letters, or documents by scanning or storing them properly in archival-quality materials. Even scanning a few photos each day is making progress.
Organize Documents: Sort digital or physical documents, such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, or census records. Organize them in folders or binders for easy access. For more on organization check out this blog post.
Set Up A Genealogy Workspace: Dedicate time to organize and optimize your genealogy workspace, whether physical or digital, to streamline your research process and increase productivity.
Create Research Plans: Develop research plans outlining specific goals, strategies, and resources to guide your genealogy research effectively.
Create Source Citations: Ensure that each piece of information in your family tree is properly sourced with accurate citations. Follow a consistent citation style.
Define Your Filing System: Organize digital or physical files by surname or family line into folders. For physical folders, I like Mary Hill’s color-coded system. You can find more about that here.
Make A Checklist: To keep yourself organized make a checklist of the documents you have researched and those you have yet to find or analyze.
Online Research and Database Searches:
Verify Information: Take the time to verify existing information in your family tree by cross-referencing multiple sources and evaluating the reliability of each piece of evidence.
Search for Vital Records: Look for birth, marriage, or death records of specific ancestors in online databases or through local government archives.
Explore Newspapers: Search online newspaper archives for obituaries, marriage announcements, or other mentions of your ancestors.
Explore These Record Groups: Take a look at the following types of records where your ancestors may be: military, land, probate, and immigration (just to name a few). Be aware there may be multiple websites to search such as Fold3 or the National Archives. For immigration check out the Ellis Island Foundation website.
Explore Migration Patterns: Trace your ancestors’ migration patterns by examining census records, passenger lists, and other historical documents.
Research Occupational Records: Investigate occupational records, such as trade directories or employment registers, to learn more about your ancestors’ professions and workplaces.
Visit Cemetery Websites: Explore online cemetery databases to find burial records and photographs of tombstones for your ancestors.
Search The FamilySearch Wiki: Consult the FamilySearch Wiki to learn more about genealogy research strategies, record types, and resources for specific locations or ethnic groups.
Research A Specific Event: Focus your research on a specific historical event, such as immigration, the Civil War, or the Great Depression, to uncover its impact on your ancestors.
Search Other Family Trees For Clues: While we don’t take other family trees as the gospel truth, they could be clues for your genealogy research.
Check Local Histories: Search for local histories, county atlases, or historical societies’ publications that may contain information about your ancestors and their communities.
Play In A New Database: Is there a new database you’ve been wanting to search? Take a few minutes to play around in it using one of your ancestors. You may come up lucky.
Record Transcription and Indexing:
Indexing Projects: Contribute to genealogy index projects by transcribing or indexing records on websites like FamilySearch Indexing.
Transcriptions: Transcribe vital records such as birth, marriage, or death certificates. Most certificates can be completed within 30 minutes.
Family Indexing Project: Index names and dates from handwritten documents or letters.
Transcribe Documents For Each Ancestor: Take each ancestor individually and transcribe the documents you have saved. You may uncover clues you didn’t see before.
Family Tree Verification and Correction:
Update Family Tree: Update your family tree software or online platform. Add new family members or fill in missing information.
Correct Errors: Go through your family tree and see if names are misspelled names or if there are incorrect dates. Add this to your research plan if this becomes too big of a project.
Complete A Profile: Add missing details like occupation, residence, or military service to your ancestors’ profiles.
Collaboration and Communication:
Contact Relatives: Share discoveries or updates with family members by phone, email, or social media to gather family stories, photos, or documents. You could also start or contribute to a family newsletter.
Social Media Groups: Join genealogy-focused groups on platforms like Facebook to ask questions, share discoveries, and connect with fellow researchers.
Document Oral Histories: Interview older relatives to record their memories, stories, and family traditions before they are lost.
DNA Matches: Review DNA matches on platforms like AncestryDNA or 23andMe, and reach out to potential relatives to exchange information.
Online Or Offline Tasks
Vital Records: Is there a vital record you’ve wanted to write away for? Take this time to complete these small, yet forgotten tasks.
Lineage Societies: These can be large projects, but can be broken down into smaller tasks. Complete one each time you sit at your desk. You’ll be done in no time.
Surname List: If you haven’t already started a surname list for each ancestor, start one now. You can take each document and record how the surname is spelled.
Finally
I’m sure there have been many famous people who said something like “Sure and steady wins the race.” There is always going to be someone or something to research. If you take it slow and complete each task, you will make tremendous strides in your genealogy research. Just think of where you will be in a year if you start now.
Genealogy tip: I like having deadlines. It makes me more productive. If you’re the same way, make a contract with yourself to finish one ancestor or ancestral couple a month. Do the transcriptions, find the documents, and write up a biography. If you stay consistent, by this time next year you’ll have accomplished a great deal.
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