1. Avoiding Genealogy Mistakes
Dulane Woodhouse

2. We're Related To ... Someone Famous
• It must be human nature to want to claim descent from a famous ancestor. Many
people become involved in genealogy research in the first place because they
share a surname with someone famous and assume that it means they are
somehow related to that renowned individual. While this may indeed be true, it is
very important not to jump to any conclusions and begin your research at the
wrong end of your family tree! Just as you would research any other surname, you
need to start with yourself and work your way back to the "famous" ancestor. You
will have an advantage in that many published works may already exist for the
famous individual you think you are related to, but keep in mind that any such
research should be considered a secondary source. You will still need to look at
primary documents for yourself to verify the accuracy of the author's research and
conclusions. Just remember that the search to prove your descent from someone
famouscan be more fun than actually proving the connection!

3. Genealogy is More Than Just Names
Dates
• Genealogy is about much more than how many names you can enter or
import
into your database. Rather than be concerned about how far back you've
traced
your family or how many names you have in your tree, you should get to
know
your ancestors. What did they look like? Where did they live? What events
in
history helped to shape their lives? Your ancestors had hopes and dreams
just as
you have, and while they might not have found their lives interesting, I just
bet
you will.
• One of the best ways to start learning more about your family's special place
in
history is to interview your living relatives- discussed in Mistake #1. You
may be
surprised at the fascinating stories they have to tell when given the right
opportunity and an interested pair of ears.

4. Don't Accept Family Legends As Fact
• Most families have stories and traditions which are handed down from generation
to generation. These family legends can provide many clues to further your
genealogy research, but you need to approach them with an open mind. Just
because your Great-Grandma Mildred says that it happened that way, don't make
it so! Stories about famous ancestors, war heroes, surname changes, and the
family's nationality all probably have their roots in fact. Your job is to sort out
these facts from the fiction which has likely grown as embellishments were added
to stories over time. Approach family legends and traditionswith an open mind,
but be sure to carefully investigate the facts for yourself. If you are unable to
prove or disprove a family legend you can still include it in a family history. Just
be sure to explain what's true and what's false, and what's proven and what's
unproven - and write down how you arrived at your conclusions.

5. Don't Trust Everything You See in Print
f It's On The Internet, It Must Be True!
Just because a family genealogy or a record transcription has been written down
or published does not necessarily mean that it is correct. It is important as a
family historian not to make assumptions about the quality of the research done
by others. Everyone from professional genealogists to your own family members
can make mistakes! Most printed family histories are likely to have at least a
minor error or two, if not more. Books which contain transcriptions (cemetery,
census, will, courthouse, etc.) may be missing vital information, may have
transcription errors, or may even make invalid assumptions (e.g. stating that
John is the son of William because he is the beneficiary of his will, when this
relationship was not explicitly stated).
The Internet is a valuable genealogy research tool, but Internet data, like other
published sources, should be approached with skepticism. Even if the information
you find seems the perfect match to your own family tree, don't take anything for
granted. Even digitized records, which are generally fairly accurate, are at least
one generation removed from the original. Don't get me wrong - there's plenty of
great data online. The trick is to learn howto separate the good online data from
the bad, by verifying and corroborating every detail for yourself. Contact the
researcher, if possible, and retrace their research steps. Visit the cemetery or
courthouse and see for yourself.

6. Don't Neglect to Document Your
Sources
• Unless you really like having to do your research more than once, it is important
to keep track of where you find all of your information. Document and cite those
genealogy sources, including the name of the source, its location and the date.
It's also helpful to make a copy of the original document or record or,
altematively, an abstract or transcription. Right now you may think you have no
need to ever go back to that source, but that probably isn't true. So often,
genealogists find that they overlooked something important the first time they
looked at a document and need to go back to it. Write down the source for every
bit of information you collect, whether it be a family member, Web site, book,
photograph or tombstone. Be sure to include the location for the source so that
you or other family historians can reference it again if need be. Documenting your
research is sort of like leaving a breadcrumb trail for others to follow - allowing
them to judge your family tree connections and conclusionsfor themselves. It
also makes it easier for you to remember I'klat you've already done, or go back
• to a source when you find new evidence I'klich appears to conflict with your
conclusions.

7. Don't Jump Straight to the Country of
Origin
• Many people, especially Americans, are anxious to establish
cultural identity-
tracing their family tree back to the country of origin. In
general, however, it's
generally impossible to jump right into genealogy research in
a foreign country
without a strong base of preliminary research. You'll need to
know who your
immigrant ancestor is, when he decided to pick up and move,
and the place
where he originally came from. Knowing the country isn't
enough - you'll usually
have to identify the town or village or origin in the Old
Countryto successfully
locate your ancestor's records.

8. Don't Misspell the Word Genealogy
• This is fairly basic, but many people new to genealogy research have trouble
spelling the word genealogy. There are several ways that people spell the word,
the most common being "geneology" with geneaology coming in a close second.
A more exhaustive list will include almost every variation: geneology,
• geneaology, genlogy, geniology, etc. This may not seem as if it is a big deal, but
if you wish to appear professional when you are posting queries or want people to
take your family history research seriously, you will need to learn how to spell the
word genealogy correctly.
• Here is a silly memory tool that I ca m e up with to help you remember the correct
order for the vowels in the word genealogy:
• Genealogists Evidently Needing Endless Ancestors Look Obsessively in Grave
Yards
▫ GENEALOGY
• Too silly for you? Mark Howells has an excellent mnemonicfor the word on his
Web site.
• Kimberly Powell, About.com's Genealogy Guide since 2000, is a professional genealogist
and the author of "Everything Family Tree, 2nd Edition. n Click herefor more information
on Kimberfy Poweff.

9. Don't Forget Your Living Relatives
• Genealogy can be a very fascinating and addictive hobby. Each step that you take
in researching your family's history can lead you to new ancestors, delightful
stories and a real sense of your place in history. If you are new to genealogy
research, however, there are ten key mistakes that you will want to avoid in order
to make your search a successful and pleasant experience.
• Don't Forget Your Living Relatives
• If only .... is a lament that you so often hear from genealogists who regret having
put off visits with elderly relatives who have since passed away. Family members
are a genealogists most important source, and often the only source for the
stories which bring our family history to life. Visiting with and talking to your
relativesshould be at the top of every genealogists "to-do" list. If you just can't
get in a visit right now then try writing to your relative with a list of questions,
send them a memory bookto fill with their stories, or get a relative or friend who
lives nearby to visit with them and ask them questions. You will find that most
relatives are eager to have their memories recorded for posterity if given the
proper encouragement. Please don't end up as one of the 'if onlys' ...

10. We're Related To ... Someone Famous
• It must be human nature to want to claim descent from a famous ancestor. Many
people become involved in genealogy research in the first place because they
share a sumame with someone famous and assume that it means they are
somehow related to that renowned individual. While this may indeed be true, it is
very important not to jump to any conclusions and begin your research at the
wrong end of your family tree! Just as you would research any other surname, you
need to start with yourself and work your way back to the "famous" ancestor. You
will have an advantage in that many published works may already exist for the
famous individual you think you are related to, but keep in mind that any such
research should be considered a secondary source. You will still need to look at
primary documents for yourself to verify the accuracy of the author's research and
conclusions. Just remember that the search to prove your descent from someone
famouscan be more fun than actually proving the connection!

11. Beware GENERIC Family Histories
• They are in magazines, in your mailbox and on the Internet - advertisements
which promise "a family history of *your surname* in America." Unfortunately,
many people have been tempted into purchasing these mass-produced coats of
arms and surnarne books, consisting mainly of lists of surnames, but
masquerading as family histories. Don't let yourself be mislead into believing
that this could be your family history. These types of generic family histories
usually contain
• a few paragraphs of general information on the origin of the surname (usually
one of several possible origins and likely having nothing to do with your
family)
• a coats of arms (which were granted to a specific individual, not a specific
surname, and therefore, in all likelihood, do not belong to your specific
surname or family)
• a list of people with your surname (usually taken from phone books which are
widely available on the Internet)
• While we're on the topic, those Family Crests and Coats of Arms you see at the
mall are also a bit of a scam. There generally is no such thing as a coat of arms
for a surname - despite the claims and implications of some companies to the
contrary. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families or surnames. It's
OK to purchase such a Coats of Arms for fun or display, just as long as you
understand what you're getting for your money.