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Last Updated May 5, 2018<\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\n Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Whether family history research is your newest hobby or a lifelong passion \u2014 pitfalls are everywhere and sometimes they\u2019re hard to spot.\u00a0From forgetting to back up your data to limiting your research options, these important dos and don\u2019ts will help you avoid some of the most common issues facing\u00a0family historians today.<\/p>\n 1. DO interview family members while you still have a chance.<\/strong> Many family historians are nervous about asking family members for important information about their family\u2019s history or requesting copies of documents and photos \u00a0\u2014 but doing so is a must<\/strong>. Once the information is lost, it is lost forever, so gather it while you can and store it somewhere safely. The interview process can also be a great way to learn new things about those you care about.<\/p>\n 2. DON\u2019T\u00a0store all of your information in one place.<\/strong> Every day we hear stories about people who have lost years of research to a computer crash or some other disaster. Find a secure way to back up your data and do it regularly. Online cloud storage services, such as Amazon Cloud or Google Drive, are great options, or you can purchase an external hard drive or memory card easily online. Another great way to safely store your information and<\/em> share it with others is by starting a family history blog. Find out how to do it easily here.<\/p>\n 3. DO make sure that every single detail in your tree has a reliable source, and preferably two.<\/strong>\u00a0Take the time to educate yourself about what sources you can usually count on for accurate data and what sources should always be questioned. And, no matter the source, always attempt to back up your findings. It only takes one incorrect fact to send a tree off on the wrong path and, online, these errors can spread like wildfire.<\/p>\n Make Instant Discoveries in Your Family Tree Now Imagine adding your family tree to a simple website and getting hundreds of new family history discoveries instantly.<\/b><\/p>\n MyHeritage is offering 2 free weeks of access to their extensive collection of 20 billion historical records, as well as their matching technology that instantly connects you with new information about your ancestors<\/b>. Sign up using the link below to find out what you can uncover about your family. Discover New Genealogy Records Instantly<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 4. DON\u2019T copy other people\u2019s family trees.<\/strong> Not only are online trees often inaccurate and poorly sourced, which could lead to major issues with your own tree, but doing your own<\/strong> research will lead you to discover more information and will help you build a larger and more accurate tree. Use the information you find in other trees for reference only and spend your time looking for records.<\/p>\n 5. DO share your information with others and ask for help when needed.<\/strong> Family history research is challenging, but it can be nearly impossible at times if researchers are not willing to reach out for help or share what they have. Additionally, connecting with other family historians can be a great way to make new friends, discover \u201clost\u201d family members and advance your hobby. Consider joining a local or online research group or emailing others who are researching the same people as you are.<\/p>\n 6. DON\u2019T limit yourself to just a few websites.<\/strong> It may be easy to head over to Ancestry or FamilySearch every time you want to look for a new record, and these big sites have a lot to offer, but there are literally hundreds of high quality research sites online and many of them are free of charge. You\u2019ll make many new discoveries by taking the time to explore all of your options. Find 50 free genealogy sites here or discover more than 200 no-cost sites and databases\u00a0from around the world in our Genealogy Course.<\/p>\n 7. DO understand how to use search engines to find what you need.<\/strong> You\u2019ll miss a great deal of online information if you simply type in a search and hit go. There are many tips and tricks that can help you uncover buried information and sift through the oodles\u00a0of possible results you\u2019ll encounter. Try these Google search tricks or check out the \u201cSecrets of Search\u201d section in our online Genealogy Course.<\/p>\n 8. DON\u2019T limit yourself to online records.<\/strong> A trip to a local historical society, library or FamilySearch center \u2014 or even a simple online order of an offline record \u2014 can often provide you with the information you need to climb a new branch of your family tree or tear down walls that are standing in your way. Don\u2019t be afraid to explore the\u00a0important offline resources available to you. Local volunteers are usually eager to help.<\/p>\n 9. DO be flexible when searching databases.<\/strong> One of the biggest mistakes made by new family historians is searching\u00a0only<\/strong> for exact names and dates. Very often, these important pieces of information were recorded incorrectly \u2013 so always be flexible when using online databases that\u00a0rely on your<\/strong> search terms to retrieve the correct document. Try name variations and broad date ranges to increase your chances of finding a match. When searches fail, be willing to browse for the information you need. You\u2019ll often be surprised by how much you missed.<\/p>\n 20 Billion Genealogy Records Are Free for 2 Weeks Get two full weeks of free access to more than 20 billion genealogy records right now. You\u2019ll also gain access to the MyHeritage discoveries tool that locates information about your ancestors automatically<\/b> when you upload or create a tree. What will you discover about your family\u2019s past?<\/p>\n Claim My Free Record Access Now<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 10. DON\u2019T get sidetracked.<\/strong> It is easy to jump from one task to another in family history research \u2014 but focusing on one family, person or event will allow you to understand the (often minute) details you need to work through your toughest problems. If you want to build a solid tree and make consistent progress, staying focused on the task at hand is the best way to do it. Of course, we all need to step back sometimes when we get stuck, but don\u2019t be afraid to record (in detail) where you left off and come back again to finish the job.<\/p>\n 11. DO educate yourself about the location your ancestors lived in.<\/strong> What records are available online and offline? What churches, schools and employers were active during your ancestors\u2019 lives?\u00a0Were there changes to the location\u2019s name that you should know about? What major events happened that could have influenced people\u2019s movements and life choices? Truly understanding your ancestors\u2019 communities will open new doors in your research and help you grow your tree.<\/p>\n 12. DON\u2019T give up.<\/strong> There will certainly be times when the task of locating a specific piece of information seems impossible \u2014 but creativity, education and persistence can help you overcome most<\/strong> obstacles.<\/p>\n Our Genealogy Course has simple, online\u00a0help for many of the topics discussed above. Learn more here.<\/p>\n Image:\u00a05 Female Officers of the Women\u2019s League, Newport, R.I. c1899. Library of Congress<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The 12 Important Genealogy Dos and Don\u2019ts You Need to Know Last Updated May 5, 2018 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Whether family history research is your newest hobby or a lifelong passion \u2014 pitfalls are everywhere and sometimes they\u2019re hard to spot.\u00a0From forgetting to back up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":719,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2],"class_list":["post-718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genealogy-guides","tag-db"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=718"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":720,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/718\/revisions\/720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whogenealogydna.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}