Getting Started
by Patricia Montalvo Lynam
One of the most exciting and rewarding hobbies that I have ever explored is genealogy. It brings out the detective in all of us. If you enjoy a good mystery, you will enjoy doing genealogical research.
Getting started can be somewhat confusing and overwhelming at the same time. There are some basic steps and research principals that need to be followed in order to be successful.
There are several good "how to" books on the market. I would recommend you purchase one and use it as a guide, or you may want to take a basic genealogy course. When starting out you should always start with yourself. You are the beginning of the research. Record down all the information you know about yourself, birth, baptism, marriage dates; as well as for your brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, aunt and uncles.
Find out what type of home sources you may have. This includes family bibles, newspaper clippings, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, scrapbooks, letters, diaries military certificates family histories, even look on the back of photos. Most importantly don't forget to visit or write your relatives. Remember those stories your grandmother use to tell you may have some real value to your research. Getting together with the family is a great opportunity to gather information. Learn how to interview your family members. Tape record your interviews or video tape them for accuracy. This technique will come with time and practice.
Another important part of doing family history is record keeping. There are many different methods which can be used, all being as useful as the other. You must search out and find the method you are most comfortable with, or develop your own. What is important is that it be accurate, so you are not duplicating your work, or someone will be able to pick up where you left off. Remember to record the events that took place in the persons life, place where it happened and the date of the event. A research log is very helpful keeping track, one for each person you are researching. There are many facilities that you will be visiting or contacting to obtain your information such as libraries, churches, county records office, state archives to name a few.
Taking on the task of being the family historian can be both challenging and rewarding. Start by filing in a pedigree chart starting with yourself and working back. Ask your family for their assistance, this will making them feel part of your endeavor and may spark an interest. Once it is completed you will have a visual aide to see what information you must seek out.
This article is from the collection of:
Puerto Rican/Hispanic Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 260118
Bellerose, NY 11426-0118
(516) 834-2511
Miguel J. Hernández - President
Email: prhgs@yahoo.com
Homepage: http://www.rootsweb.com/~prhgs/
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