2.6 Preliminary Survey
Some researchers will find many relatives have already created or collaborated on family trees. Others will discover they are the first in their family to begin sharing genealogical information online. Both situations are conducive to a positive research experience; they will just be different experiences and require different strategies. FamilySearch Family Tree is a good place to begin determining the right approach.
There cannot be a quality genealogy project without developing a research question. A research question is a question the genealogist wants to answer about the individual of interest. “Knowing how to craft effective genealogy research questions can lead you to discoveries that deepen your respect for your ancestors’ triumphs and struggles, contextualize pivotal times in history and even correct misconceptions about your family history.”1 The project is to attempt to answer that question through document and other historical research but in order to develop the question a family historian should complete a preliminary survey.
If other researchers have already identified sources of information, such as the 1930 US census, the family historian saves time by examining those sources instead of spending more time initiating a new search for the same records. The A comprehensive look at what research has already been done for the individual or family of interest. is a comprehensive look at what research has already been done for the individual or family of interest.
The researcher looks at compiled trees and member trees on the big four websites and analyzes all the sources, facts, and events related to the focus family. Any information that is stated, but not sourced, should be considered a hint or suggestion until it can be proved or disproved with research. If, for example, Betty McQuire is listed on one of the websites with a birth certificate as a source the researcher could examine that source and conclude it is solid evidence for her name and birthdate. But, if there is also a death date listed, because the birth certificate is the only source, that death date has not been proven. It is a hint and suggestion until a document is found that proves or disproves the death information listed on the website. The genealogist documents their thoughts and analysis about each source in a research log and creates a citation for each verified source. Once all the proven information has been analyzed, the researcher looks at the data to develop a research question.