The start of a new year seems the perfect time to answer the question I get emailed most often, “I’m new to genealogy research, how do I begin and what advice can you give?”
My best advice is to start today. So many people, including myself, wait for retirement or until their children are grown up to begin family history research. As we wait for the perfect time to begin, we are slowly losing generations — parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles — and with them go their stories and memories. Even if you just take a baby step, start today.
Here are my other bits of advice on getting started in 2026.
• Search your home for clues. Scrapbooks, birth certificates, Bibles, old letters or photos, school records, school pictures, boxes of miscellaneous papers, can all yield important clues to help with your research. Examine each item closely. Details that may not seem relevant now could be exactly what knocks down a brick wall later so keep an open mind.
• Ask questions. Your immediate family, siblings, cousin, aunts and uncles may have memories that will only be shared if you ask. Give them a call or send an email. Not sure what to ask? Check out familyhistorydaily.com/free-genealogy-resources/family-history-interview-questions for help.
• Know your record groups. Vital records, census and cemetery records, church, military, migration, citizenship, court, land, town, newspaper and other record types are at the core of what we do. The sooner you understand why and how these record types were created, and how to access them, the easier your research will become.
• Take your time. When I began my research, I wanted to see how far back in time I could reach (1646, by the way) and apparently how quickly. When I came up for air, my tree was full of names and dates but had no color or heart. After hitting delete, I started small, with my parents, and began the slow process of getting to know each character in my family tree, and it’s been a delight.
• Get organized. It’s easy to think that you’ll simply remember what you’ve searched and what you’ve found, but trust me when I say, you’re lying to yourself. Those little slips of paper, stashed randomly around your home, just won’t cut it either. Get in the habit of taking notes on what you have looked for, what you have found and where you have searched. Remember to note negative searches, too, as they are just as important.
• Know your history. It’s so much easier to understand our ancestors’ choices when you know what was happening around them. We tend to think history was segmented but if you build a timeline of your ancestor, you’ll see so much was happening in the world at the same time. These events could explain moves, absences, and early deaths.
• Find a tribe. My family is very patient when I share genealogy stories and eye rolls are kept to a minimum… most days. But talking to them isn’t the same as having someone beside you in the trenches also hurling insults at a brick wall. Finding a local genealogical society, Facebook group or just a friend who shares your interest can make all the difference. Your family will thank you.
Remember that we all started with a blank page and became more knowledgeable about how to research as time went by. The truth is, it’s a lot of work to go back in time, slow and steady, one generation at a time. But if you keep at it, soon you’ll be climbing those branches like a pro. Happy hunting!