Best books to read to learn proper research?

Question

 

 

I found an article that recommended these books.  Any others I should keep an eye out for?  I am at home with tons of free time and would love to learn as much as I can to properly help.  I used to do crosswords.... now I work on geneology lol

 

Black's Law Dictionary, 10th Edition

Forensic Genealogy

Genealogical Writing in the 21st Century: A Guide to Register Style and More 

Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians 

 

Thanks!

Jessica

Comments

One of the best books I read, it was a workbook really, was called Mastering the Genealogical Proof System. It really helped hone my skills in sourcing and writing proofs.Not all sources are equal and this book helps you weigh the evidence.

Answer 1

My suggestion would be: if you are just starting out, read something lighter, something more chatty, rather than books like a law dictionary.  A law dictionary? I know I read dictionaries - but then, I'm weird. LOL

If you read stuff which sounds pretty heavy-duty to me, then you are more likely to get put off genealogy for life.

Comments

A legal dictionary such as Blacks Law Dictionary is not a book you use to learn how to do genealogy; however, it is a very good book to have in your reference library.  Blacks Law Dictionary is something you use as a reference book for definitions/explanations of the legal terms that you may not be familiar with in the legal documents you find in doing your research.

Answer 2

I can't suggest any books to read other than Elizabeth Shaw's book on Styles which is referenced here on wikitree and you can search for it. I will tell you PRIMARY SOURCE is best. These are things like actual marriage records, census records etc. An index to these records is the next best source. SECONDARY SOURCES are the already compiled genealogies and history of a county type books. If these books and genealogies have good sources use them and make certain to note the book, page and where you found it, so someone else can go find it if they are interested.

Do not rely on an Ancestry, Geni, My Heritage etc. genealogy. If they have a source go back to the original source.

Answer 3

May God bless you a thousand times!  It is often visible that beginners don't take time out to read "how to" books on genealogy. After all it takes time to read and you are in a hurry, and of course ALL the information is at your fingertips on the web.

1. There are many “how to” books out there on basic aspects of genealogy research. EVERYONE should read at least one. No one has the time to write you a book on the internet to help you find your ancestors (what you get is a sentence or paragraph, while a book may have a whole chapter on the subject). I see a lot of people who want to help but they do not really know what they are doing – often the blind leading the blind. If your local library doesn’t have any genealogy “how to” books then try to get them by interlibrary loan. You must understand the basics and terminology of your craft. All your research cannot be done on the internet.

 
A very few titles for basic research are:

Val Greenwood's RESEARCHER'S GUIDE TO AMERICAN GENEALOGY (sometimes referred to as the genealogist’s bible)

Norman Wright's BUILDING AN AMERICAN PEDIGREE, which is no longer in print but very good so check your used book dealers.

KNOW YOUR ANCESTORS by Ethel W. Williams.

SEARCHING FOR YOUR ANCESTORS by Gilbert H. Doane.

SHAKING YOUR FAMILY TREE: A BASIC GUIDE TO TRACING YOUR FAMILY'S GENEALOGY by Ralph J. Crandall.

TRACING YOUR ANCESTRY by F. Wilbur Helmbold.

UNPUZZLING YOUR PAST by Emily A. Croom

YOUR FAMILY HISTORY by Allan J. Lichtman

THE TROUBLESHOOTER'S GUIDE TO DO-IT-YOURSELF GENEALOGY by W. Daniel Quillen

SECRETS OF TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS by W. Daniel Quillen

THE SOURCE: A GUIDEBOOK TO AMERICAN GENEALOGY, ed. by Loretto Denis Szucs & Sandra Hargreaves Luebking

There are also specific books for specific areas of research such as A GUIDE TO LIBRARY RESEARCH METHODS by Thomas Mann, or TRACE YOUR GERMAN ROOTS ONLINE by James M. Beidler and MEDIEVAL GENEALOGY by Paul Chambers.

Many of the books may be out of date especially for locations of items, but the basics are there and be sure to read several as each author may focus on different aspects of research. Good luck & have fun.

Comments

Also be aware of the different genealogical publications available at your newsstands and check them out – these are your news sources for the genealogical world. They have notice of new publications, “how to” articles, evaluations of genealogical software, book reviews, descriptions of research centers, events, organizations, etc.

You will also find older books available on line such as Google Books, Internet Archive, Genealogy Gophers, and Digital Public Library of America.

See also Cyndi's List and Linkpendium, Genealogy on Facebook - https://moonswings.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/genealogy-on-facebook-list-nov-20171.pdf and Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter - https://blog.eogn.com/