|
|
The Importance of Problem Solving Strategies in Genealogical Research December 1, 2025 |
|
|
|
Intermediate/Advanced Level Article The Importance of Problem Solving Strategies in Genealogical Research Problem-solving strategies are crucial in genealogy research for accurately piecing together family
history, avoiding errors, and overcoming obstacles. They provide a framework for critical thinking,
evidence evaluation, and adapting your research methods to find answers, and ensuring that the
information you gather is credible and complete.
Encountering roadblocks or inconsistencies in your research findings are an occupational hazard in the
research process. The benefits of developing a research plan for overcoming inconsistencies and
gaps shown below illustrate the importance of this process. Taking the time to do so and preparing
yourself for the inevitable challenges that arise will help you resolve many genealogy research brick
walls.
- Analysis & Correlation: Learn to use indirect evidence. Don’t just look for a document that
states an answer in plain black-and-white. Documents that do specifically answer our research
questions can be wrong. As you proceed through the research process with various sources
(print and online), don’t just look up your ancestors. Correlate the data to define patterns for their
community or activity; therein lies evidence of their identities and kinships. Analyze record
collections, as well as your findings, for what is missing. That can be as important as what you
actually found.
- Cultural Influences: Consider the impact of parental deaths that freed grown children from
elder-care obligations and provided funds to move to new locations. Analyze with an open mind
and historical context, the social and economic status of your ancestors and their associates.
The concept of people tending to associate with others that were of the same economic, ethnic,
and social status as they has never changed for the most part historically or in modern times.
However, there are always exceptions.
- Community Norms: Use activities to define stages of life and probable periods of birth, marriage,
and death. Learn community patterns by taking the time to read and analyze local record books.
Pinpoint ways in which common practices differed from prevailing laws. Always study neighbors
and associates. In many cases, they were related in some way.
- Geographical and Legal/Political Context: Like everything else in genealogy research, you
must be cognizant of the historical context for the time period and locality. Study the history of the
area not only from a geographical but legal context. These factors often had an impact on the
daily events in the community. These in turn had an impact on the lives of your ancestors. Know
the laws, for example, that governed the distribution of land in the specific time and place and
influenced the nature and content of public records. If you don't understand the purpose behind
why a specific record was created, you may draw the wrong conclusion
. - Military Service: Study the laws that governed militia duty and military service in the specific
time and place/places of residence. Study the guides in effect at both national and state or colony
levels. Search for the existence (online or in print) of regimental histories for units to which
ancestors belonged, units that served/fought in the ancestral place or region of residence. Identify
others who served in your ancestor’s military unit; seek out pension and/or bounty-land
applications for each of them. As you go through this process, don’t just search for references to
your ancestor; use them to reconstruct your own history of the unit. This strategy often uncovers
hidden clues that are beneficial for research purposes.
- Practices and Proof Standards for Ensuring Accuracy and Avoiding Errors: A structured
approach, such as starting with what you know and working backward, makes the research
process more efficient and helps you logically find new information. Analyzing evidence from
multiple sources helps confirm findings and build a more reliable family tree. Don’t rely on
published abstracts and databases. Consult the originals for omissions, copying errors, and
misinterpreted passages. Don’t accept any set of facts about a person simply because prior
researchers have “agreed” upon them. Test every prior conclusion against the Genealogical
Proof Standard.
For more information on this topic, please visit the following sources.
Morgan, George G. How To Do Everything With Your Genealogy. 4th Edition. c2015
Genealogy (G) 929.1 MORGAN Szucs, Loretto Dennis & Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. The Source: Guidebook of American
Genealogy. 3rd Edition. c2006 Genealogy (G) 929.1 SOURCE Bryan L. Mulcahy Reference-Genealogy Librarian Fort Myers Regional Library bmulcahy@leegov.com11/18/2025 |
|
|
|
|
|