Focus

... or lack thereof... and my attempts to focus my research efforts...

As more and more information has become available on-line, I have found it more and more difficult to stay focused while doing on-line research.  There is a lot of information out there and it can get overwhelming.  It is so easy to get distracted and to start following links and clues that are not related to my current research focus.

In an attempt to corral my tendency to be scattered, I put together a spreadsheet of places to check and things to do as I research a person.  I'm hoping that using it will help me stick to the task at hand.

While this list is certainly not comprehensive and I am sure it will grow and evolve as I use it, I thought it might be helpful to others.  What follows is the current version.  It includes sites that are by subscription, as well as free sites.  If others have additions or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you.

And I do want to say that while there is a lot to be found via these sites, many records are still only available by going to appropriate court houses, libraries, and archives.  The internet is a great resource, but it is not the only resource.  I use it as a starting point.

Update:  I've been asked about which of the sites below are by subscription, so I have added a $ next to those.

So here goes:

First:  Review my database on the person and note missing key/primary items (census, birth, marriage, death, etc)

Second:  Compare my database to the profile I've compiled for that person on Ancestry.com 

Download documents, as appropriate.  Be sure to change the document name to reflect surname, source, date, etc.  Be sure to look for appropriate censuses and primary documents. Keep in mind the primary evidence I lack for the person.  Use this criteria for each site I visit.

Search Ancestry.com for additional items.  $

Search FamilySearch.org using same above criteria.

Search Find A Grave.com.  Add or correct information found there.  Download photos.  Print memorial pages, etc.  If I KNOW where the person is buried, but there is no memorial yet, create one.

Search American Ancestors.org. $  (Note: Some of their records are free, though you need to create an account.  Others are available only by subscription.  If you have lots of New England ancestors, this site might be a big help.)

Search Newspapers.com for news articles and obituaries. $

Search Genealogy Bank.com  for news articles and obituaries. $

Search Fold3.com if military records are possible. $

Search Death Indexes.com for obituaries.

Next:  Do data entry into my database of all the items I have found on the subject person via the above sources.  Note clues to pursue based on what I've discovered.   Review.

Once I've done the above, I should have a general outline on the person and family as well as places they lived.  These next sites are useful for finding other more locality-specific sources.  I use them as appropriate based on what my preliminary research has turned up.

Linkpendium.com

Library of Congress newspapers at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

Rootsweb

US GenWeb.org

Cyndi's List 

Allen Co. Public Library on-line resources and card catalog.  I keep a running list of things to look for when I periodically visit this excellent library.

I also look for web sites related to the localities where the ancestor lived.  While these often turn up when going through the above resources, I sometimes have to do web searches for them.  I look for:

Libraries in the city, county and state and check for genealogical holdings.  Reference librarians can be very helpful if you have SPECIFIC requests.

Historical Societies and Genealogical Societies in the city, county, and state.  The holdings vary widely.  Sometimes you can contact via email; sometimes only by snail mail.  I like to use them where I can and to support them by utilizing their resources.  The (usually) reasonable fees they charge go to support their on-going work.

Google the person's name in various forms.  Often comes to nothing, but once in awhile you hit on something.

If the above sites have not turned up a county history for the areas of interest, try googling for that.  Many old county history books have been digitized.

I have not yet found a good way to keep track of all the local sites I turn to.  Several of the sites listed above provide ways to discover these local resources. I bookmark them in my browser, but there are so many good ones out there, I get lost! I certainly can't list them all.   Here are a few:

Old Fulton (NY)  -  I have not used this one much yet, but my sister really likes it.  Mostly New York, but expanding into other areas.

Library of Virginia - Many digital records.  Excellent source for Virginia research.

Thomas Balch Library - Loudoun Co., Virginia.  Excellent resource. 

Tippecanoe County Area Genealogical -  Indiana.  I have visited this society and used their resources.  Great people dedicated to preserving area history and helping other researchers.

Cincinnati Birth and Death Records - Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio

West Virginia Vital Records -  Birth, Marriage and Death record images


As I come across other resources, I will add to this list.  If anyone has items to add, please let me know.