Genealogy Do-Over - March 2018

I am taking part in the Genealogy Do-Over this year. 

The Genealogy Do-Over tasks for March are:

1. Conducting Self-Interview
2. Conducting Family Interviews

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1. Conducting Self-Interview

I decided to use Evernote to record my self-interview. I wrote down my own knowledge of the dates and places of events in my own life. 

For example, I recorded:

• Birthdate and place
• Catholic Sacrament dates and places (Baptism, First Confession, First Communion, Confirmation)
• Education - dates and places
• Residences - dates and places
• Hospitalisations - dates and places
• Hobbies

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2. Conducting Family Interviews

I created a Family Group Sheet template in Evernote, and then created one for my immediate family. I filled in the information from my own knowledge.

• My next step is to interview my Mum and check if her knowledge of dates and places for our family correlates with my own. 
• Then I need to create a Family Group Sheet for each of my siblings' families. 
• I have also asked my Mum to fill in Family Group Sheet for her parents and siblings. 

Here is an example of a Family Group Sheet from the US National Archives.

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The full list of Genealogy Do-Over topics for 2018 is on Thomas MacEntee's Abundant Genealogy web site.

© 2018. Australian Genealogy Journeys. This post was originally posted at  https://ausgenjourneys.blogspot.com/2018/03/genealogy-do-over-march-2018.html. Genealogy Do-Over is © Thomas MacEntee. 

Genealogy Do-Over - February 2018

I am taking part in the Genealogy Do-Over this year. March has arrived without me having posted my February update!


The Genealogy Do-Over tasks for February were:

1. Establishing Base Practices and Guidelines
2. Setting Research Goals

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1. Establishing Base Practices and Guidelines

I read and reflected upon the base practices and guidelines of other genealogy researchers last month. For example Thomas MacEntee's The Genealogy Do-Over: My Golden Rules of Genealogy, Alona Tester's 27 Golden Rules of Genealogy, and on the FamilySearch Wiki - Principles of Family History Research and Genealogical Standards and Guidelines (National_Institute).

I have decided to prioritise the following Base Practices and Guidelines for my own genealogy research:

• Plan my research
• Follow a research process
• Work from the known to the unknown
• Learn about the history and geography of the areas where my ancestors lived
• Slow down. One objective at a time, one person at a time, one family at a time.
• Keep a research log
• Record Sources, cite correctly, give credit
• Try to see the original document (or images of the original document) 
• Record every detail from every record
• Track everything - what found and what not found, correspondence etc.
• Analyse sources, resolve any conflicts
• Be consistent in the way I record my data.
• Back-up my data
• Share my research
• Keep learning

I also worked last month on customising my own genealogy research process/workflow using examples from other genealogists. The sections of my genealogy workflow are:

1. Preparing
2. Planning
3. Researching
4. Analysing
5. Resolving
6. Concluding
7. Saving
8. Sharing

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2. Setting Research Goals

My initial research goals will be very simple:

• Who were my maternal grandparents?
• Who were my paternal grandparents?

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 The full list of Genealogy Do-Over topics for 2018 is on Thomas MacEntee's Abundant Genealogy web site.

© 2018. Australian Genealogy Journeys. This post was originally posted at https://ausgenjourneys.blogspot.com/2018/03/genealogy-do-over-february-2018.html.  Genealogy Do-Over is © Thomas MacEntee.