Making Your Genealogy Research Intentional

One difference between an amateur and expert genealogical researcher is intention. By being intentional with our searches we can become more efficient, systematic, and accurate at pulling information from the archives. Think like a biographer and look at one person at a time, then practice these 7 steps to keep yourself in the driver’s seat of your research.

1. Begin with yourself and work backwards

2. Gather information/record what you know

3. Create a research question/set a goal

4. Research how to research

5. Devise a research plan

6. Utilize a research log/keep good notes

7. Save your documents

8. Cite sources