Eureka! You’ve found the record you’ve been looking for. It’s right where you expected it to be. The names, dates, places, and situations are consistent with the people you’re researching. You’re tempted to celebrate, thinking you have

It’s January—the first month of a new year. This is the time when people tend to think about clean slates and a fresh starts. They make resolutions and set objectives. If you’re a member of the National

Most genealogists probably encounter family traditions. They’re the stories—often with uncertain origins—that have been passed down from one generation to the next. The tales may involve subjects such as ethnicity, places of origin, military exploits, occupations, accomplishments,

My mother knew someone who was so afraid of making a left turn in her car that she simply refused to do it. Rather than take the most direct route, she would make only right turns and

The first element of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS)—reasonably exhaustive research[1]—calls for digging into the circumstances of a research subject’s life, and identifying sources and strategies that may help provide an answer to a specific research question.