Genealogy or family history?
Genealogy is the study of your genes (the names & dates), but family history includes the stories & "flesh on the bones"
- Think there is no difference in genealogy vs. famiy history? – https://www.familytree.com/blog/think-there-is-no-difference-in-genealogy-vs-family-history/#:~:text=Definition%3A%20Genealogy%20%E2%80%93%20a%20study%20of,of%20each%20ancestor's%20life%20story.&text=Their%20parents'%20full%20names%2C%20place,birth%2C%20marriage%20date%20and%20location.
Talk to your family
Get it all down (including who told you) - and keep it confidential
- Interviewing your relatives – https://www.familytreemagazine.com/storytelling/interviewing/interview-questions/
- Oral history - step by step guide – http://dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/oralHistory.html
- Oral history - why do it? – http://www.marple.com/whyoral.html
- Oral history and folklore – https://www.nla.gov.au/collections/what-we-collect/oral-history-and-folklore (45,000 hours of original recording)
Collect photos, certificates, family Bibles, etc
Only carry photocopies with you - leave originals at home
- Conserving Your Family Photos – https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/conserving-your-family-photos
- Dating photographs by clothing & hairstyles – http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/814584/genealogy-research-dating-vintage-photographs-by-clothing-and-hairstyles-1
- Digital Photo Preservation – https://www.ala.org/alcts/preservationweek/howto/digitalphotos#:~:text=Make%20at%20least%20two%20copies,physically%20far%20apart%20as%20practical.
- Looking after your family archive – https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/search-people/researching-your-family/looking-after-your-family-archive
- Organize photos in a snap – https://www.bhg.com/decorating/storage/organization-basics/how-to-organize-photos/
- Preserving photographs – http://www.photographymuseum.com/archival.html
How to Preserve Old Photos Without Losing Your Mind – http://www.glowimagery.com/how-to-preserve-old-photos/ - Preserving your records – http://www.jaunay.com/conserve.html
- Preserving printed photos or documents – https://www.scrapbook.com/articles/preservation-of-photos-documents-papers (See also "Additional Articles by WIR" - some are very large files)
- Scanning, creating & editing digital photos – http://genealogy.about.com/cs/digitalphoto/a/digital_photos.htm
Work back from what you know
Start with your own details & work back one generation at a time, using details from one generation to help you find the previous
- 25 Tips & tricks for successful family history research – https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/25-tips-tricks-for-successful-family-history-research/
- Beginning your family history research – https://www.gsv.org.au/beginning-your-family-history-research
- Family history worksheets and checklists – https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/guides-and-resources/family-history-worksheets-and-checklists
- How to Build a Family Tree: Tracing Your Ancestors – https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/free-resources/build-family-tree/
- Tips for researching family ancestry – https://www.nsw.gov.au/topics/family-history-search/research-guide#Tips%20for%20researching%20family%20ancestry
Pedigree chart – you need to know what to look for
- Use Appropriate Forms – https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Use_Appropriate_Forms
- Charts and records – http://misbach.org/pdfcharts/
- https://www.gsv.org.au/sites/default/files/stories/Forms/family-group-sheet.pdf
- https://thefamilyhistorian.com.au/free-downloads/genealogy-forms-and-charts/
- http://obituarieshelp.org/free_printable_blank_family_tree.html
- http://genealogy.about.com/library/free_charts/bl_pedigree.htm
Write letters
Send emails or self-addressed stamped envelopes (or International Reply Coupon if overseas)
Keep a Research Log
Record everything you've found, and everywhere you've searched (even unsuccessfully)
- Family History Research Log – https://thefamilyhistorian.com.au/family-history-research-log/
- Research Logs – https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Research_Logs