One of the best ways to start off with your family tree research is through conducting interviews with your known family members. If you are just getting started with your family tree, or you want to start getting serious and organized in your research, this is a great idea for you.
The goal of a Family Tree Research Interview is to learn as much as you can about your relatives. When I first got started in genealogy, I thought I could just say, "Hey mom, tell me about your family". It turns out that this question won't get you far.
The more specific, thought-provoking, and thoughtful your questions are, the more likely you are to get really interesting, new information from your relatives. A conversation-style interview is likely to trigger old memories, stories, and thoughts that have never been shared with you before.
I have made a Family Interview Worksheet specifically for helping my readers talk to their families in order to learn as much as they can.
Do you have an ancestor with a very common name? This can make finding records about them seem impossible! In this post, find out ways to overcome this research challenge. The common names that you will encounter in your tree will vary depending on where your ancestors were from. For example, millions of people in …
What if you discover some of the things no one talks about in your family tree? This is just one way that genealogy has a dark side.
Have you had trouble finding information about your female ancestors during your genealogy research? In this post, find tips and tricks for locating the women in your family tree.
If you have ancestors who were born in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, you need to know where to find UK genealogy records. In this post, find ten places to search for your ancestors online.
Did you know that Ancestry has a built-in feature that uses AI to automatically transcribe images? In this post, find out how to use this tool to learn about and document your ancestors. A few weeks ago, I was given an antique writing box that belonged to my great-great-great grandmother, who was born in 1861. …
It's important to ensure that the sources you use for your family tree research are high-quality and reliable. In this post, learn the steps you should take to evaluate your records.
Have you tried out the Experimental Full-Text Search on Family Search? In this post, find out what you might be able to discover about your ancestors from using this free tool.
Are you wondering what kind of information you can learn through passenger lists where your ancestor is named? In this post, discover how to use these valuable genealogical records to find new details about your ancestor’s life.
If you have spent some time analyzing your DNA match list, you might wonder if it is possible to have no DNA matches from an ancestor who you know is in your family tree. In this post, learn whether this is possible and how it could happen.
Anyone who spends much time researching their family tree will eventually stumble upon family names that cause them to pause and wonder. Here, learn how and why our ancestors sometimes have names that seem strange to us. In this post, I'll tell you some examples of some "crazy" names in my own family tree, and …
Did you know that the 1921 Census of England and Wales is available on Ancestry? In this post, you will find information about the background of this census, what you can learn from these records, and how to access them on the Ancestry site. If you had ancestors living in England or Wales in the …
Have you ever thought about who should or shouldn't be added to your family tree? In this post, I'll discuss what you should consider before adding someone to your tree.
If you have ancestors from Poland and you are looking for the best places to find records online, this article is for you. In this post, learn the top places to search for Polish genealogy records and tips for using the databases. Two of my great-grandparents came to the United States from Poland in the …
Do you want to know the difference between extended and distant family members? In this, post, learn which of your relatives are in each group, and in which circumstances the definition can be flexible.
Do you want to know what your ancestor's occupation was? In this post, you will find nine different ideas for places to look for the information you need.
Have you heard of Ancestry Pro Tools? In this post, you will learn what these tools are and how you can best use them to help with your family tree and DNA match research.
Are you interested in putting your knowledge of your family history to use to connect with your ancestors' culture? In this post, find several ways to expand your connection with the cultures your ancestors called their own. If you have read other articles on my website, then you know that most of the information on …
Are you interested in finding immigration records for your ancestor from the 1800s? In this post, learn what you need to know to find these records, including where to look. If you can find immigration records about your ancestor, it is often a goldmine. These records can help us learn a lot more about our …
Do you have a close DNA match with whom you would like to figure out your relationship? In this post, learn some strategies that you can use to find out how you are related to those closer DNA matches. It might seem like it should be very easy to figure out how a close DNA …
Did you know that you can use the free Relative Finder tool to quickly find out how you are related to friends or even famous people? In this post, learn how the tool works and how to get started using it. I first used Relative Finder because my child asked me if I thought we …
Do you ever wonder how far back the furthest family tree goes? In this post, learn the furthest verified case that anyone has been able to trace their ancestry.
Have you ever wondered who owns your family story, and which boundaries, if any, should limit your family tree research? In this post, find a discussion about who has the right to tangible and intangible aspects of a family's history. Most people who have dabbled in genealogy know that not everyone in their family loves …
With all of the talk about AI, you might wonder if you can use it for your genealogy research. In this post, find out whether you can put this new technology to work on your family tree.
Have you heard of negative evidence in genealogy? In this post, learn what this term means, as well as how you can use and document negative evidence in your family tree research. Family tree research can sometimes be difficult. We are searching for records and documents related to people who lived long ago, often without …
Have you heard of Ancestry Pro Tools? In this post, learn more details about this set of features, how much they cost, and how they might help you with your family tree. When I first saw the Pro Tools features, I wasn't sure if they would be something that I could use. Even though I …
Do you wonder if it is possible to research your German ancestors without actually having to go to Germany? In this post, we'll discuss how to research your German ancestors from the comfort of home. Of course, I would love to take a trip to Germany to see where my ancestors lived and maybe do …
Do you wonder what will happen to your family tree if you have to take a break from your Ancestry subscription? In this post, find out that answer.
Have you ever wondered who has seen your Ancestry tree? In this post, learn how to find out who has viewed your tree and reasons why they might have done so.
Did you know that you can display your Ancestry family tree as a fan chart? In this post, learn how to use the new Ancestry fan view.
Have you ever wondered why your ancestors came to America? This article provides the main reasons that our ancestors decided to leave home and build a new life in the United States.
Have ever wondered whether you can uploaded and preserve audio files to your Ancestry family tree? Learn how to do it in this post.
Do you want to know what a descendant is, what it means to be a descendant, and who your descendants are? In this post, learn the answers and more.
Have you heard of the Mayflower Silver Books? In this post, learn about this useful research resource and how you can use it for your own family tree.
Have you ever wondered how many ancestors are in your family going back 20 generations? In this post, find out the answer, and much more about this topic.
Have you heard of the Dawes Roll? In this post, learn what this list was, who was and wasn't on it, and how you can use this resource to learn about your ancestors.
Do you want to learn how many years are in a generation? In this post, find out the answer, and whether the number of years in a generation ever changes.
Are you interested in finding an obituary for someone? In this post, you will find out how to search for obituaries by name completely for free.
Would it be helpful if there was there a way to search for an Ancestry member? With millions of Ancestry members, learn here how to find the right one.
Maybe you've heard that researchers have made big discoveries about Beethoven's DNA. In this post, learn more about what they learned, as well as how to find out if you are related to Beethoven.
Have you been thinking about what types of artifacts your family might have? In this post, learn what a family artifact is, and what your family might have that counts as an artifact.
Have you seen the Storymaker Studio on Ancestry? In this post, learn how to find this feature and the basics about how you can use it to tell your family's stories. Family tree research can sometimes be a solo endeavor, and so I love it when there is an opportunity to involve other people in …
Have you ever wondered what your ancestors experienced at Ellis Island during their immigration journey to the United States?