About this guide
This guide lists and describes resources that can be used for genealogical research.
Immigrants at Battery Park, New York, N.Y. c. 1900 from American Memory at the Library of Congress
How to start
The basic steps of genealogy
- Start with living relatives - collect stories and documents
- Go back in time generation by generation
- Seek evidence (also known as primary sources--official documents, materials, etc.)
- Be critical of all information sources (including relatives and the Internet)
- Keep good notes and organized files
Don't
- Start with I'm related to someone famous
- Start with my family immigrated from a specific country
- Believe everything you find on the Internet
Interviewing Living Relatives
A few tips for interviewing your living relatives:
- 12 Tips for Interviewing Relatives from Family History Magazine
- 20 Questions for Interviewing Relatives
- 50 Interview Questions for Family History Interviews
- 150 Questions to Ask Family Members about their Lives
