Sources
Primary sources are sources which are related to, the past. Primary sources are usually letters, records or other documents created during or very close to the event, such as diaries, letters, legal notices or accounts. However, primary sources can include photographs, historically accurate documents and personal items.
Secondary sources are created by somebody removed from the event who was either not at the event, or was documenting the event at a later time. For instance, all historical textbooks are secondary sources as are context documents items such as a note in a marriage contract indicating a birth date. The birth date is a secondary source; the marriage date is a primary source.
Important items to remember:
- Search a source completely, do not get sidetracked and move to other sources without completing your initial search
- Keep information on surnames as they apply to a given local area. It will be less difficult to analyze potential relatives without having to return to a source when you could have saved the information on your first go around
- Keep focused on dates, places, names and relationships
- Learn about the local history to be able to go to the correct repository of information. Jurisdictions changed over time, depending on dates, there may be more than one place for specific vital records to be kept
- Compare the event date with the jurisdiction in authority
- Study the history of the area during the years your ancestor lived there
- Locate and study maps of your ancestor's area during the time periods they lived there
- Apply secondary sources when primary sources are not available but keep all of them in your data when they are available
Finding and Choosing sources
There is a vast number of sources that can be used for research. Many are common and there will be a lot of specific local sources which are location specific.
Primary sources of information on family and individuals events, vital records are the preferred source for these occurrences.
Birth, Marriage and Death and to a lesser extent Divorce make up the shortlist of vital statistics to search for.
Where to find them:- Local, regional and national governments may have data online free or for a fee
- Family scrapbooks
- Relatives online willing to share data
- Biographies
- Alumni and school records
- Census records
- Immigration, citizenship, naturalization and passport records
- Libraries
- Library of Congress
- Archives which store dated vital statistics
- Local Genealogical Societies
- Military records
- War records
- Pension records
- Land and property records
- Court records, probate, coroner’s reports and social security
- Church archives and records
- Message boards surname and others
- Historical and Genealogical Societies’ online databases
- One Name Studies
- CD ROMS and database for free or for sale by various groups including; genealogical societies and commercial companies
- Published Books
- Births and obituaries in Newspapers and in virtual libraries online
- Local, regional and national newspapers
- RootsWeb
- Search engines
Family records, bibles, diaries, certificates, letters and important papers
Commercial databases such as Ancestry and Family History Library
While not complete, this list shows a few of the common sources. For an exhaustive listing of sources online and offline click here for Cyndi's List
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