Getting organized

The first place to start is with a good software program to collect your information. There are several great programs available that are designed to make it easy to store, sort, and retrieve your family tree information. Many of them also enable you to build your own webpage for free, with a simple point-and click interface that anyone can use. Most programs also let you create a family heirloom book that includes pictures, charts, stories, and an index.

Once you have your family tree software installed on your computer, it will be easy to collect information from hundreds of sources. Click here to see a number of available packages ready to use.

Start with who you know

Once you have a family tree program installed, simply start entering all of the information that you have. One very important tip: ALWAYS DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCES!! This is the most common mistake that researchers make in the beginning...not taking the time to document the source of their information as they enter it into their program. As your tree begins to grow and you share information with others, it will be very important to be able to tell where each piece of information came from. It's worth the few extra keystrokes to document your sources as you add names to your file.

After you have entered the names that you know, the next step is to check with other family members. Since you won't always have your computer with you, it may help to use some pre-printed forms that will keep the information organized until you enter it into the program. Click here for free forms that you can print out and use. Be sure to ask your family members if they have a box of old pictures, an old family scrapbook, or a family Bible. Many old family Bibles had a family tree page for recording births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths in the family. You will usually find the family page in one of three places: In the front of the Bible, in the very center of the Bible, or between the Old and New Testaments.

Has someone else in your family researched your family tree in the past? If so, try to get copies of their papers. Take advantage of the years of work that have been done by others whenever possible.

Finding existing research

Once you have compiled the information from your own family sources, you can begin to harness to power of the Internet to find information from around the world. Genealogy is the fastest-growing segment of the Internet today and it's easy to connect with other descendants of your ancestors, and exchange information with them. Remember, with every generation of ancestors that you can trace, you double the number of surnames that you are researching. So, you have thousands of "cousins" researching the same names and locations as you. Following are the fastest ways to find them.

Bulletin Boards

Bulletin boards are everywhere on the World Wide Web. You may be able to find information on your ancestors already posted, or you can post your own queries and information for others to see. Always read several postings to get a feel for the kind of information exchanged on each bulletin board before posting your own message. Most boards have a search feature, so you can search for specific names or places. When you post a message, always try to be fairly specific...at least give a location and approximate timeframe for your search. For example, a posting that says "Looking for information on O'Reillys in Ireland" is probably too vague to get a response. A posting like this will help zero in on your information: "Seeking information on the ancestors of James Patrick O'Reilly, born about 1795 in County Antrim, Ireland. Came to America in about 1820 and settled in Philadelpia." If you have a family tree webpage, always include the address as well as your email address so other researchers can find your information easily.

Our favorite bulletin boards are:

GenForum is a great place to start. Go through the boards for each of your surnames. You may want to click on "All Messages" at the bottom of each page so you can scroll through all the postings. If you don't find a message board for one of your surnames, you can start one for free. Besides surname boards, Genforum also has boards by Country and U.S. County. For counties, go to the state forum of your choice; then click on "Counties for this State" in the upper right area of the screen.

In addition, Genforum has boards for general genealogy help, and general topics like Native American, Civil War, WWI and WWII, medieval genealogy, rare books, etc. Remember, don't just scan the postings...create your own, so others can find you, too!