No matter what your level of research experience is, success depends on your ability to supply specific details. The more information you as a researcher can provide, the better your chances are of having a successful experience. The most important thing you can do to make sure you have the best consultation possible is to prepare in advance. The tips and tasks shown below will help accomplish this objective.
Step One: What do you want to know? General goals and questions tend to yield general advice and guidance. With a more focused goal, you'll be able to receive more focused and detailed advice that will often contain more useful options for immediate impact.
Step Two: What Do You Already Know? You should focus on gathering everything in the way of evidence and documentation that you already know about the individual, couple, or family unit. This will include original or copies of documents, family trees whether they be online or in print format, photographs, family Bibles, or any other important notes you have. Supplement this with conducting interviews with your relatives to gather information. Experts say this is one of the best ways to begin the process.
Step Three: What Sources Have You Already Consulted? Keeping track of where you have already searched without success can be just as valuable as organizing the information that you did find. This is where research logs come into play.
Research Benefits of Consultations
The best thing about a consultation is that it's completely tailored to your level and where you're at in your research. Researchers with different experience levels will often take away different interpretations, strategic options, etc. out of a consultation. Here are some scenarios in which a consultation might help.
You’re Just Beginning the Research Process. Beginners of all levels can benefit from a professional consultation. It's crucial to form the right habits when you're just starting out, and there's no one better to educate you on the research situations and issues you will encounter based on their years of research experience. With technological advances there are many more options available. A professional can help guide you to options that will usually put you in the best possible position for success.
When You’re Considering Hiring a Researcher for a Paid Project. Most but not all initial consultations are free. Even if there is a fee involved, it is far less than their normal rates. Even if you have to pay, it may be a small price to pay for much larger long-term research benefits, especially given their expertise. If you're thinking of hiring someone to do research for you, a consultation can help you to figure out if that's the best way to proceed before you make a major investment in the project. Consider these scenarios.
You’ve Located Some Basic Facts. Now You Are Encountering More Complex Issues. Where Do I Go From Here? Some experts would also phrase this as you have located all of the "easy" records related to your family history. Now you want to find records that go into more detailed information. A professional can help you take your research to the next level by making recommendations for record sets, methodological approaches, and more.
I Have Genealogical Related Documents and Need an Interpreter. While some people will initially assume we are talking about foreign language documents, many historical records, especially those written in legalese for the time period in question, can literally be speaking a foreign language to modern day researchers. When you consider the profiles of many professionals, pay close attention to both their research areas of expertise and their knowledge of foreign countries and languages.
Overcoming the Infamous Brick Wall Dead ends, or brick walls are an occupational hazard in genealogy. They are inevitable. Most professionals in the field will tell you that the absence of brick walls is a red flag onto itself. Whether it's a record that can't be found, a person that isn't where you think they should be, or any other problem that is giving you fits, a professional genealogist is the perfect person to consult.
Planning a Research Trip. A professional genealogist can provide guidance and resources to put you in the best position for success. This would include information about libraries and repositories you plan to visit, which will help you make the most out of your precious time.
Interviewing Family Members and Oral Histories
With some prior planning and forethought, these interviews can help delve more deeply into the rich fabric of family history, such as relationships, quality of life, motivations, migrations, and the impact of these events on the family. Here are some useful suggestions.
Focus on the Historical Context of the Time Period Prior to setting up any interview with a family member, it is an absolute must to take the time to read a published or online history of the locality of residence. This will allow you to understand the historical context of circumstances and events that impacted the family during the time period relevant to your research.
Know the Importance of Asking Open-Ended Questions An open-ended question is specifically designed to encourage personal commentary versus a simple "yes" or "no" answers. Open ended questions should be designed to try and elicit facts, as well as feelings and descriptions.
Consider the Possibility of a Group Setting Be aware of the possibility that the initial experience of an interview can be very stressful for someone who is not used to it. Nor are most people outside of the media, television, etc., used to conducting interviews! For optimum success, it is an absolute must to create as relaxed an environment as possible for everyone. One way to facilitate a comfortable setting is to ask groups or pairs of people to sit down with you. This can help some feel less shy by sharing the spotlight.
Don’t Limit Yourself to Finding Facts- Collect Stories Finding out genealogically relevant facts - such as a marriage date, name of a grandparent, where an immigrant ancestor was born in the old country - is absolutely a worthy goal. Experts often recommend asking more fluid, conversational questions - these kinds of questions will generate more spontaneous, story-based responses.
Seek the Same Information That You Ask for In Other Research. If you're looking to get information that can help you begin your family tree, or if you're looking for information to solve specific research questions, focus on the usual key genealogical information
. Parents, Grandparents, and Collateral Relatives Because we often are thinking about direct descendants when doing genealogy, we tend to limit the scope of our questions to asking about a relative's parents or grandparents. Don’t forget about the other relatives.
Photo Albums Using photo albums as part of interviewing family members or other potential close acquaintances of the family can lead to amazing stories or crucial information. This is especially true at family gatherings or reunions.
Recording the Interview This is very important for multiple reasons. If you can persuade the interviewee to allow a recording of their comments, this can be very beneficial not only for yourself and your research, but to the consultant when you reach that stage of your project.
Oral Histories and Interviews - Treat the Information Like Any Other Genealogical Source As with any oral history or other genealogical source, you should consider who the informant is and their relationship to the information they’re providing. Ask yourself if the information provided is something the person had firsthand knowledge of, or is it something they may have heard from a second-hand source themselves?
For more information on this topic, I have two electronic study guides that are free upon request in addition to the sources listed below.