Genealogy For Dummies. Helm April Leigh

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СКАЧАТЬ on a death certificate, the information provides a place and approximate timeframe you can use as a starting point when you search for a birth record.

      You can familiarize yourself with using primary sources by collecting some records that document the milestones that you created in Twile in the previous section. Try to match primary sources for each event in your timeline. If you can’t locate primary source documents for each event in your life, don’t fret! If you remember an event and provide details about it on the timeline, it can serve as a primary source document – because you write it about yourself.

      For additional information on primary sources, see Using Primary Sources at the Library of Congress website for teachers at www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources.

      We should also mention tertiary sources. Tertiary sources are compilations of primary and secondary sources, such as articles found online or in encyclopedias or almanacs.

      For comparisons of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, and examples of each, see James Cook University’s overview of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources at http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/scholarlysources.

      Or check out William Madison Randall Library’s guide for identifying primary, secondary, and tertiary sources at https://library.uncw.edu/guides/primary_secondary_and_tertiary_sources.

      For strategies on using primary sources online, see the Reference and User Services Association (of the American Library Association) page at www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/resources/primarysources.

       Using Genealogical Applications

      You can use an online timeline to document your life (as described in the It’s About Time(line) section earlier in this chapter), but a full-featured option is to use a tool of the genealogy trade from the beginning – a genealogical application. Over time, you’ll collect a lot of information on your ancestors. You need something to help you keep everything straight and make sense of it all. Not only can a genealogical application keep track of the names, dates, and places of your ancestors, but it can also show you the gaps in your research and point you where to go next.

      Nowadays, you encounter two different flavors of genealogical applications – those installed on your personal computer and those available on online family trees. Each type of application has pros and cons, so over the course of the rest of the chapter, we look at both types to illustrate them. Of course, you don’t have to pick one or the other – you could be like us and use both kinds at the same time!

      Both types of applications can store and manipulate your genealogical information. They typically have some standard features in common. For instance, most serve as containers for family facts and stories, have some reporting functions to see the data contained within them, and have export capabilities so that you can share your data with other family historians (or with another application). Each application may have a few unique features that make it stand out from the others. For example, one might have the capability to take information out of the application and generate online reports at the click of a button or integrate with data stored on subscription genealogical websites. Here’s a list of some simple features to look for when evaluating applications:

       ✓ How easy to use is the application? Is it reasonably intuitive how and where to enter particular facts about an ancestor?

       ✓ Does the application generate a view of its data so that you can take the next step in your research? For instance, if you’re partial to Family Group Sheets, does this application display information in that style?

       ✓ Does the application allow you to export and import a GEDCOM file? What other formats does it export to? GEDCOM is a file format that’s widely used for genealogical research. For more info about GEDCOM, see the sidebar in Chapter 14 titled “GEDCOM: The Genealogist’s Standard.”

       ✓ What are the limitations of the application? Make sure the application can hold an adequate number of names, documents, and photographs (and accompanying data) to accommodate all the ancestors about whom you have information.

      

Keep in mind that your genealogy continues to grow over time.

       ✓ Can your current computer system support this application? If the requirements of the application cause your computer to crash every time you use it, you won’t get very far in your genealogical research.

       ✓ Does this application provide fields for citing your sources and keeping notes? Including information about the sources you use to gather your data – with the actual facts, if possible – is an important and a sound genealogical practice. Take a look at the section “Learning about Sources,” earlier in this chapter, for more information about the importance of citing sources and understanding how to do so.

       ✓ Does this application have features that warn you of incorrect or incomplete data? For example, some applications check the place-name that you enter against a database of locations and suggest a standard way of spelling the location.

       ✓ Does the application integrate with genealogical websites? Integrating content between websites and genealogical software is an easy way to build your genealogical database, as well as to share your findings with others.

      

When importing information from genealogical websites directly into your application, keep in mind that you need to take the extra step to verify the information and attach sources to the imported information. Some sites do not attempt to verify the information they contain, and without proper vetting you may download incorrect data.

      Entering Information into RootsMagic Essentials

      To help you get a better idea of how genealogical software installed on your personal computer can help you organize your records and research, and to help you figure out what features to look for in particular software packages, this section examines how to use RootsMagic, a popular genealogy program.

      You can download a free trial version of RootsMagic Essentials software and install it on your computer:

      1. Open your web browser and go to the RootsMagic site at www.rootsmagic.com/Products.

      2. Scroll down to the RootsMagic Essentials section and click the Free Download button.

3. Complete the information fields, including your name and email address. Enter your email address again in the Verify E-mail field shown in Figure 1-3.

      4. Select the checkbox if you want to receive emails from RootsMagic.

      5. Click Download.

      The instructions for downloading the product appear. Be sure to click on the correct version for your computer’s operating system. There СКАЧАТЬ