The beginning of a brand new calendar year is a time when many people choose to make New Year’s Resolutions. It is a time to make a new start, to try something new, or to improve your life. Genealogists can make a genealogy related New Year’s Resolution that will help them to learn more about their ancestors, their research techniques, or their favorite hobby. Typically, a New Year’s Resolution is phrased in the form of a goal. People decide that, in the new year, they will exercise more, eat healthier, and give up smoking. Resolutions don’t have to focus on … Continue reading →

Here we are at the last day in the month of January. It’s been 31 days since this brand new year began. How have you been doing with your genealogy related new year’s resolutions? Are you working hard on them, or have you forgotten all about them? The dawn of a new year is something that causes many people to take stock of their lives, and decide upon a few changes that they would like to make that would improve their lives in the coming year. Often, these changes are health related, but it’s not unusual for people to make … Continue reading →

Do genealogists make New Year’s resolutions? You bet they do. If you are a genealogist or aspiring genealogist who is wondering where their search for ancestors will take them in 2011, read on for four suggestions of things that you can do to keep your genealogical research moving along and, more importantly, keep it fun and interesting. Often, genealogists acquire a lot of papers and other “stuff” in the course of their research. It can be easy to let papers pile up and before you know it, all of your hard work is in a disorganized mess that, let’s face … Continue reading →

If one of your genealogy resolutions for 2011 is to interview one or more relatives, here are a few tips that will make the process more enjoyable for everyone. If you employ the right approach to family history interviewing, your relatives will be happy to have shared the experience with you. If not, your interview experience and theirs could be awkward at best and may not produce much useful information. A good time to begin creating a positive family history interview experience is while you plan for the interview. You may even wish to come up with your interview questions … Continue reading →