Ne-Do-Ba

Each primary source you can decode will give you a layer or building block towards historical truth.

So understanding the ‘tricks’ of decoding sources are vital to the craft of being a historian.

a primary source doesn’t have to be a document – it could be anything!

Whenever you uncover a wife's name in your research, it is prudent to question whether she was the only wife

The wife that you have discovered may or may not be the mother of any or all of your ancestor's children. This is especially true in the time before census records listed family members by name, or identified family relationships. Census records, especially, are full of clues to a potential second (or third) marriage:

A record provides evidence of a fact, and we get so focused on the one piece of evidence that we fail to examine the context of it. This can throw off the conclusions we take from the evidence.

Ask yourself:

When was the record created?

The simple answer, always attribute any copy. The second part, never copy an entire work even if the work is only one paragraph or one sentence long. Rewrite in your own words. Last, you can always ask permission to reproduce a work.

know what you are looking for

You need to imagine the document you are looking for and enter search terms that you assume are on that document.

Look for categories of records and sources rather than individual documents.

At the best, compiled trees provide references to original source materials.

At the worst, they are completely incorrect.

“It isn’t so astonishing, the number of things that I can remember, as the number of things I can remember that aren’t so.” ~Mark Twain

“When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not; but I am getting old, and soon I shall remember only the latter.”

Try and avoid as much as possible, interpreting your ancestor's actions in twenty-first century terms.

Don't just copy the obituary and head back to your searching. See what other news is waiting for you in the paper.

Culturally, I’m an American.

How long does it take us to lose our ethnicity?

Ethnicity is in your genes, embrace all the cultures of your ancestors.

The Hunter or Detective:

The Gatherer or Ancestor Collector:

The Ancestor Finder:

Now that you're a little more seasoned, review what you did in the early days and see if you still agree with yourself.

The death notice, obituary, death certificate, and tombstone all have the same date of birth for great-grandma.

What you most likely have is one person who gave the same information four times.

Remember that before you think that just because four sources "agree" that they are correct.

1. Develop a Research Plan.

2. Check Your Logistics in Advance.

3. Be Flexible!