This ten step guide will help you on your way to discovering your ancestry. There is such a wealth of information out there that you will find about your ancestors.
It can though become quite overwhelming for you to know where to start and how to find that information.
You can follow my 10 Steps to Family History to help you discover your genealogy. This guide will give you an overview to how you can get the most out of this exciting hobby.
If you have any comments, queries or suggestions for topics to add to this page then please feel free to contact me.
10 Steps to Family History Research
Researching your family history can be quite a long journey. I have spent more than six years researching my own genealogy, although I could continue forever.
Your family history journey is practically endless. And your children, or even their children can continue your research.
I was very fortunate that my father had already began this journey of family history discovery.
I therefore had resources that I could work with before set off to explored new information.
Genealogy takes time and money!
Genealogy though does depend on how much research and money that you are willing to take and spend
And also how far back in time that you are willing to go.
This page will briefly explain the ten steps that you can take. There are links to articles that provide more information, guides, as well as tips.
This step by step genealogy guide will show you the way you need to go on your family history journey.
Following these ten steps will ensure that you get the most from your family history research.
Step 1 – Start With Yourself
A great starting point is to begin with yourself by recording your details. Once you have done this then you can find useful information that you have around the home.
What Does Your Surname Mean?
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What Sources of Information At Home Can You Find?
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Step 2 – Ask Your Relatives
Your relatives are a great resource of information and must not be overlooked. Not only do they have records of interest to you at their address, but they may have valuable memories and stories about your ancestors that are not recorded anywhere.
Top 20 Family History Interview Questions
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Step 3 – Write What You Have So Far
Writing your family history can help put your research into order. By writing you will be able to explore where to research for more interesting information about your ancestors.
How To Create A Family History Book – Part 1
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How To Make A Family History Book – Part 2
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How To Write A Family History Book!
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Making A Family History Book Can Be Fun!
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Step 4 – Concentrate On An Individual
You will learn new techniques, procedures, and skills as you research your ancestry. Once you have researched one individual then you can apply your new-found knowledge to the next ancestor in your family tree.
Old Occupations Their Meanings and How To Find Them
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Step 5 – Search Online
There is so much information online containing information about your ancestors. Genealogy search websites, such as Ancestry and FindMyPast, have so much resources available to you that it is well worth checking them out.
Top Genealogy Sites – Guide Books to Ancestry and FamilySearch
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What Do Genealogy Search Websites Offer?
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Step 6 – Research Where Your Ancestor Lived
Finding out about where you ancestors lived can bring a whole new level of understanding to your research. It can give you a feel of what their life was like for them.
Historical Maps of North America and Europe – Essential Collection
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Where Did My Ancestors Come From – A British Guide
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Step 7 – Visit Archives and Family History Society
Local archives will have records of your ancestors, such as as birth, death and marriage certificates. They may also have other useful documents concerning your family.
There will probably be a local family history society that you can contact. They may even be able to provide with more information for your research.
How To Find A Genealogy Society Both Near And Far!
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Join A Family History Society
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Plan a Visit to the Archives
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What To Do At The Archives
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Step 8 – Enter Your Collected Information
You can enter what you have collected so far into a genealogy software program. This tool will be able to make sense of the mass of information that you have accumulated.
Genealogy software are useful as they can print out charts of your family, reports, maps and so much more.
Best Genealogy Software Programs – Your Top 5
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Genealogy Software Issues
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What’s New With Legacy 9?
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Step 9 – Visit Your Ancestors Area
Standing where your ancestor once lived and worked can make you feel more connected to them. Although the scenery may have changed you will feel the sensation knowing that you are walking where your ancestor once walked.
How To Find A Cemetery Grave And What To Do When You’re There!
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Step 10 – Repeat The Steps
Now that you have researched one ancestor you can apply what you have learned to the next ancestor, and the next, and so on.
There is no end to your genealogy journey as you continue to research family members and branches of your family tree.
Also, as new information is brought online you can revisit ancestors you had previously explored and discover more about them.
Thank You and Please Leave A Comment
I hope this ten step guide will help you on your family history journey. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.
Please share with friends and family if you think this post will help others using the social media buttons below.
I am trying to find all my ancestry on both of my parents.
Hi Patricia, try checking with relatives to see if they have information that you can use for your research. This will help you getting a starting point and not wasting time and money.
All the best.
It’s quite ingenious that you have developed a step program where we can get more in touch with our ancestry. I will definitely use this as a reference when I begin to unravel my genealogy. Feel free to check out my website at http://earthliberty.com
Yours Truly
Omair
Thanks Omair for your kind comment. Genealogy research can be an exciting adventure. You just don’t know who you will find and what you will find out about them.
But it does help if you follow a step by step plan. Otherwise you may get lost with where you are and then it will become all a muddle.
All the best with tracing your family tree.
I’ll be sure to check out your site. Thank you.
Hi Owain, that’s an accurate guide – I made it as far as step 6 before I ran out of steam years ago, and never picked the trail back up again. It’s unfortunate as another family member dug so deep and so well, he published it – and the passed on. I never got access to that book he put together and eventually hope to retrace his path for my own knowledge. I’m very interested in the DNA testing that wasn’t available years ago!
That’s such a shame that you couldn’t or can’t get access to that book. By checking it it could save you so much time, and money, researching what has already been traced.
Genealogy DNA testing can help me break down brick walls and also connect you to cousins as well. It really is a game changer when it comes to tracing your family tree. And the science behind keeps improving so it’s worth checking out.
Once again, a ton of interesting and useful information. Thank you.
Grace
Thank you Grace. There is plenty of information here and I intend to add more in time as well.
Hi. Thank you for posting all this. This is timely for my family as we have been discussing our roots though other than ancestry.com we did not know where else to go or how to even begin. Very comprehensive and the ten steps is a perfect place for us to start!
The ten steps that I have laid out here are an excellent way to get started. With so much information out there and so many ancestors of ours it’s difficult to know where to start. All the best with your family history research.
This is a great guide! I have a very diverse family history: my father is Puerto Rican, my great-grandmother fled Poland during WWII, and my grandfather was adopted. This guide can help me piece my family history together!
Hi Jasmine,
I am glad that you found The Genealogy Guide. I wish you all the best with your ancestry research.
Owain
Quite an interesting ways to figure out your ancestry, even though I am not from Europe or North America but I am Chinese with some European ancestry due to my Macanese side of my mom family.
This is a very useful ten step guide that I myself have used to trace my ancestry. It can work for any background so please feel free to use it.