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Looking for branches but lost in the forest: 

3 beginning genealogist research mistakes and how to make them work in your favor

So you’ve found my page because you’ve just realized you blew it. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Mistakes are part of the process so, forgive yourself, let go of any frustrations and learn how to transform your errors into success.

The 1st mistake

Believing what you find in online trees and pedigree charts

It’s so exciting when you first find links to your family in other’s trees online! But then you begin noticing that they don’t all line up. You begin learning more about genealogy research, documentation and citations and darn! You just told the whole family that they’re related to King Edward and Charlemagne and now you’re not so sure. Even trees with cited sources can be incorrect. Here is an example from my family tree.   https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Knapp-1052  If you scroll down, there are numerous citations. All good, right? Now look closer. Jacob is listed as having 3 wives with a total of 27 children. Still not impossible but now look at the dates for each marriage. He married Lucinda in 1794 and Mary Polly in 1796. If true, that would mean Lucinda gave birth to 16 children in a two year period! Check, check and double check. Don’t fret and disregard them though. They are still useful in your quest as both reference points of possibilities and using your newly learned sleuthing skills to either prove or disprove.

The 2nd mistake

Not documenting and citing your sources

Color me guilty as charged. We all start out diving into the great unknown of our ancestral past without fully understanding or knowing what we’re doing. I personally am still trying to find the old book online that named my ggg grandfather’s parents. I have citations for him and citations for them and plenty of circumstantial evidence but nothing that links them as his parents other than the book I neglected to document. Start now and you’ll never need to look back with regret again. If like me, you have the memory of what a source said but not where you found it, keep it in a separate to do list of ongoing research and make note of the information’s citation status on any trees and profiles you create. Who knows, another researcher may see your note and lead you to the source your seeking!

The 3rd mistake

Not organizing your research

Now, if I had had an organizational system from the beginning, I would know where and when I had discovered the names of my ggg grandfather’s parents, even if I had not properly cited it. But no, I dove right in, excited by my finds and somewhere, scribbled in a pile of full notebooks, hides the clue I now seek. Keeping track of 3, maybe 4 generations without some sort of system may seem no problem at first but soon your tree grows. Your notebooks become full and multiply, you’ve got multiple tabs open on your browser and scattered boxes full of photos and family documents.

Organization includes not only hard copy files, photos and memorabilia but also digital files and links as well as a research log. How you design your system is a personal choice but designing and implementing one is a must. There are multiple blogs, sites and videos with helpful guidance. Family Tree Magazine offers a very useful list to aide in designing your own program.  https://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/news-blogs/genealogy_insider/8-habits-of-highly-organized-genealogists/  If you choose Evernote for your digital organization, Cyndi’s List has a wide assortment of free genealogy templates to guide you. https://www.cyndislist.com/evernote/templates/ 

Once you have an organizational plan, start where you are. Part of a good plan includes organizing your time. Place all your previously unsorted and scattered research in your “in box”. As your new system becomes a habit, go through, sort and file them little by little. 

Are there any tips you’ve found useful in developing good research habits and organization? Please feel free to comment or start a discussion.

Enjoy the journey!