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There is a group of printable forms on this website to help you organize your research and keep track of your information sources. This is important; after hours of research, it will be difficult to remember where you have already looked. Always write down the sources you checked, even if you didn't find anything. Keep all of your charts and forms together in a binder along with your collected research material. Fill out the forms using pencil, the information you enter early in your course of inquiry may change considerably as you conduct further research. Initially, put any information that you can on the forms; this will give you an idea of areas you need to explore. Keep track of your questions; it's a good idea to keep scratch paper handy to jot ideas down as they come to you, so you can follow up on them later. As you begin your research, remember the basic rules of genealogy. Start with yourself and work backwards through each generation. Work from the known to the unknown. Write down what you find and where you found it: which institution, collection of records, volume and page number.
Family history interviews are a key skill for the amateur family historians. A good place to start is with your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in your close family. Another opportunity exists with friends of the family. Letting know that you are researching your family history can help you make rapid progress . Find out what they know about birth and death dates and places, marriage dates and places and the circumstances surrounding these events. It’s usually more productive to begin with the current year and work backwards. When you run into a family history dead-end move on to the next line or investigate the brothers or sisters of your ancestor. A lot of useful information can be found by researching the brother or sister of my direct line of ancestry. It’s a good idea to ask them if they mind checking their homes for information they might have on ancestors, family member, family history or family heirloom.
Missouri has a useful free, searchable database which gives abstracts of the birth and death records captured in Missouri prior to 1909. These family history records are also available to see on microfiche at the state of Missouri Archives.
Establish as much as possible about your ancestor's life beforehand. This will make your search easier, and it is more likely that you will find further information. Start building a historical framework for the life and times of your ancestor by studying the history of the era and region in which he or she lived. Then talk to grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles to find out what they know about the person you are researching. Close family friends may also be able to help. Other good sources of information are family Bibles, letters, photographs or diaries. Finding the relative who is the "keeper" of the family history may lead you to a wealth of information left behind by your ancestors as a clue to your past. • Record the person's full name; including alternate spellings or nicknames. When people immigrated to Canada their names were often misspelled or arbitrarily anglicized, so once you determine the original spelling of the name, be watchful for possible alternatives. • Many people have the same names and it is common for names to pass down through generations of a family. • Where was the ancestor born? • Did he or she have children, and if so what were their names? • Determine date of arrival in Yukon and how the ancestor traveled, if mining claims were registered or property acquired, and if he or she was married or died here. • If your ancestor left the Yukon, when and how did he or she leave? • Find out when the family moved from its home to a new place, where the ancestor worked, and if he or she belonged to any clubs or organizations. • Once you have collected some names, dates, individual histories and places of residence, consider immigration records and other sources that may take you beyond Canada's borders. If you and a sibling or other relative are pursuing the information about the same ancestor(s), divide the jobs and avoid duplication. If different branches of the family are conducting family history research on the same group of ancestral siblings, pool resources, share information and gather together the details you find. Always make notes on what you learn and where you look.
