Analyzing Research Problems and Planning Strategies

We are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it. ~THOMAS JEFFERSON

Family researchers have caught "genealogy fever" and are serious about their work to seek the truth, not legends, about family origins and their ancestors' lives. They want to do their research properly, solve the dead ends, and overcome the brick walls that have blocked others as they trace family lines. They know that the search for the truth could reveal skeletons, destroy beloved family traditions, or call into question the research of others. Nevertheless, they seek the truth. This chapter will help those who want to begin that quest.

There are two basic ways of conducting your family history quest: searching and researching. All successful genealogists use a combination of search andresearch as they pursue their studies. However, rarely do they distinguish between the two, and a vast difference exists.

We are all aware of the enormous array of new sources becoming available for genealogists. The multitude of census and other public records on the Internet, the online family trees made available by myriad researchers, and publications that offer extensive query assistance provide many avenues for genealogists. But we should acknowledge what, exactly, these resources allow us to do.

* SEARCH VERSUS RESEARCH

Search:"Seek data on James Caffey Jr. and his wife, Susannah. They resided in Morgan County, Missouri, in the 1840s. Where did they come from and where did they go?" I placed this query in The Genealogical Helper, November/December 1994. I received several answers, but none referred to the correct family.

Research: The Morgan County, Missouri, Deed Book 5:367 revealed that James Caffey and wife, Susan, of Camden County, Missouri, sold their right, title, and interest to land that had belonged to Nicholas Coffman, deceased, late of Morgan County. Nicholas Coffman was enumerated in Jefferson County, Tennessee, on the 1830 census, p. 282, as age fifty to sixty years. His household consisted of two females twenty to thirty and thus of marriageable age. James "Coffee" married 21 December 1832, Jefferson County, Tennessee, Susanna Coffman. No Caffey family was found in Jefferson County, but there were several in adjoining Grainger County. I was convinced I had found the geographic origin of James Caffey of the burned county of Camden, Missouri.

Namely, all of these make the task of searching easier. Many of these sources may indeed provide an easy solution to finding your ancestors. Searching can be a quick and painless path to a wealth of information. I once responded to a query in my local genealogical journal, Ozar'kin, thinking it might lead to answers regarding Daniel Hance, a man I was investigating for whom I had little information. A fellow genealogist answered with the proof of Daniel Hance's parentage and his marriage in Jefferson County, Tennessee. In finding this bit of information, I had conducted no research of my own. Someone else had done the work — I had only searched.

On the other hand, a search can sometimes find answers that research can't. When looking for the origins of Littleberry Hendrick, I tried all the methods I gathered from conferences and seminars, and I followed many of the techniques I will discuss later in this chapter. But nothing worked. I knew a lot about Littleberry from 1833 until his death in 1862, but not where he came from. Then, the Family History Library updated the International Genealogical Index (known as the IGI). On a whim, I decided to try searching for Littleberry again. Lo and behold, up popped his marriage record in Allen County, Kentucky! It was difficult to suppress a shout of triumph. The long-sought answer to my question was finally revealed through a search — not research. If we are serious researchers, we must become more precise in defining the difference between a search and research.

RESEARCH TIP

The International Genealogical Index is a product of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. It includes extractions from vital records and patron submissions from all over the world: baptisms, marriages, and deaths. You can access it online at FamilySearch.org or in person at the Family History Library or one of the many Family History Centers around the world.

EXAMPLES OF 'SEARCH'

A genealogical search of existing dates and literature might consist of:

• Placing queries online or in genealogical magazines

• Corresponding and communicating with other genealogists

• Searching online databases such as the International Genealogical Index or online family trees at Ancestry.com , FamilySearch.org, and MyHeritage

• Searching census indexes published online, on microfilm, or on CD-ROMs

• Reading published genealogies and family articles

• Examining the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) and ordering pertinent articles to read

• Using various other "armchair" searches in published literature for the region of your interest

RESEARCH STEPS

Research is a diligent and systematic inquiry into a problem. It includes the following prescribed methods: developing a hypothesis, surveying existing literature and information, gathering evidence, evaluating evidence, and reaching a conclusion. Here are the steps you need to take in problem-solving research (see image A):

1. Define the problem.

2. Survey existing material, including published genealogies, the Periodical Source Index, online family trees, genealogical forums, and message boards.

3. Analyze the information for reliability, citations, and credibility. If there is no documentation for the data presented, contact the individual who submitted it. If that individual is not able to supply evidence, consider the material hearsay and essentially worthless. When reviewing the material you have gathered and what you have obtained from family members and correspondents, consider what is known, what is not known, and what information has been assumed but not verified.

4. Develop a strategy. One of the most successful strategies is the "neighborhood concept" or "cluster genealogy," a research tactic...