The Complete Beginner's Guide to Genealogy, the Internet, and Your Genealogy Computer Program

Book Synopsis: The modern world of genealogy combines the traditional methods of research with the awesome power of computers and the Internet, a combination so powerful that it has transformed the way we do genealogy. The purpose of this book, therefore, is to train the researcher in this new methodology, tying the fundamentals of genealogical research to the infrastructure of computers and web sites. In other words, it is a manual for modern genealogy--designed for the beginner but useful even to the most seasoned researcher.

With our growing reliance on electronic databases, computer programs, and Internet resources, genealogical research, for all practical purposes, will never be the same. And yet in many respects it will be the same, for the principles of sound genealogical research are immutable, and this book shows how to combine traditional research methods in the National Archives, the LDS Family History Library, and other major resource centers with today's technology; how to conduct research in courthouse records, censuses, and vital records using techniques unheard of just a decade ago.

It shows you how to get started in your family history research; how to organize your family papers; how to enter information into a genealogy computer program so that you can easily manage, store, and retrieve your data; how to analyze the data and place it in various tables, charts, and forms; and how to put together a family history notebook--all the while using conventional records sources with a modern search and retrieval system.

Furthermore, the book contains guidelines for using public libraries, courthouses, and archives. It also explains how to use LDS Family History Centers and the Regional Records Services Facilities of the National Archives, and it provides a step-by-step guide for using the records in each facility, including background information showing how to obtain vital, probate, military, immigration, and census records--all carefully coordinated with the ever-present backdrop of computers and the Internet.

Mrs. Clifford's new book is also designed as an instructional manual, and each chapter of the book is a self-contained teaching module containing the following elements:

• The main body of the text provides instruction supported by illustrations, charts, and examples.
• "Your Turn" activities serve as prompts, asking the reader to apply the instruction to his or her own research needs.
• Chapter assignments serve as review and comprehension checks.
• Computer checklists give the reader hands-on experience with his or her own genealogy computer program.
• Web site addresses listed at the end of each chapter guide the reader to valuable Internet resources related to the topics.
• Entries in chapter bibliographies serve as resources for further study.