Five More Advantages to Professional Genealogy Research

We all want to know our ancestors. Turning to a professional genealogy service for your research doesn't mean you care less about your family history or your ancestors. It doesn't make your ancestors less real to you. Using professional genealogy research does mean you get to spend more time getting to know your living ancestors and living your life so your descendants will find something interesting when they do their own research.

5. Documentation

Many beginning genealogists do not yet understand the significance of documenting sources, but professional genealogy researchers do. They know that you must ALWAYS write down where you got a name or date, whether you pulled it from your memory, a certificate or the Encyclopaedia Britannica. This is especially important not only for sharing your research but for the times when you find conflicting sources of information. Conflicting sources are a fact of genealogy, and you can't resolve a dispute if you don't know where you got the information from. Professional genealogy researchers always include source information to help you in further research.

4. Expertise

It can take beginning family history researchers years to accumulate all the knowledge and techniques necessary in advanced genealogical research--and genealogical research can quickly move to a very advanced level. Professional researchers have already acquired the skills needed to find your ancestors. Genealogy isn't just their hobby--it's their job and they take it very seriously.

3. Thoroughness

If you're convinced you'll never get beyond your oldest known ancestor, it's time to turn to the exhaustive search services offered by professional genealogy researchers. They can search every available resource to push your research further than you thought possible. Don't give up because you've lost the trail. Use professional genealogists as your bloodhounds to find the long-lost relatives waiting for you.

2. Organization

It doesn't take long for family history research to pile up--literally. Even beginning researchers can fill hard drives, notebooks and bookshelves. Keeping track of all that data is a daunting and difficult task. It's also a task faced by professional genealogists and one that they've conquered. A good professional research service produces well-organized results in paper or computer format. With a professional service, you'll have professional organization of your information for easy access.

1. Time

Let's face it: the #1 reason most of us turn to professional genealogy research is time. We don't have the time to learn how to and conduct complicated research. genealogy research doesn't have to become your second full-time job when it's already the full-time job of professional genealogy researchers. They do have the time to spend to find your ancestors, no matter how long it takes.

 The descendant of several avid genealogists, Jordan McCollum works for 10x Marketing, an internet marketing firm. See how easy it is to fill in your blank family tree and do genealogy research, turn to Heirlines Family History & Genealogy.

Five Advantages to Professional Genealogy Research

We all want to know more about our ancestors and where we come from. Learning more about family history is becoming a more popular goal. But genealogical research can quickly go from a weekend hobby to a daily pastime to a full-time (albeit unpaid) job. Relying on professional genealogy research is an attractive alternative to incomplete research or quitting your day job. Here are the top ten advantages that professional genealogy research offers.

5. Speed

Professional genealogy research offers you the advantage of speed. Using certified and trained genealogists to conduct your research allows you to take advantage of their years of previous experience. Certified genealogists can apply their previous researching experience to increase their efficiency as they conduct your search. Let their speed and efficiency work for you.

4. Training

Trained genealogists know where to begin and where to look to find the best and most pertinent information, instead of sifting through countless census, probate or other records in a fruitless search. Years of training and experience mean that your professional genealogy researcher will know where to look, how to look and what to look for. Family history research requires a knowledge of many different types of resources, from computerized records to microfilm to books, from censuses to probate records to correspondence indices.

3. Geographical Access

Although the Internet is a good resource for many records, some records have yet to be entered into computers. Obtaining these records often includes sending letters and money to archives offices thousands of miles away. When choosing a professional genealogy research service, look for one that is located close to a large resource, like the National Archives, or the Family History Library, each home to millions of documents.

2. Accuracy

If you've been involved in genealogy long enough, you've received conflicting information. Perhaps an interview with your mother put your great-grandmother's birthday in June but the official record has it in February. Or maybe your documents themselves disagree. How can you tell which source is right? Or perhaps your great-grandfather is John Smith and all you know is that he died in 1955. How can you find the right John Smith? Trained genealogical researchers have already learned the ins and outs of analyzing conflicting sources and accurately identifying individuals in records. Based on their training and experience, they can judge which date is more likely to be accurate or which John Smith is your ancestor. It takes years of genealogical experience to assess source material, especially from documents that can't give a clear answer. Professional genealogists have the experience necessary to ensure accuracy in their work.

1. Qualified Access

Many resources are highly sensitive or have restricted access. Most archives have stringent rules for using their resources, including who may access what, how to access materials, what researchers can bring with them, and more. Certified genealogists are familiar with these restrictions and have experience handling documents and researching in these settings. Additionally, in those archives that limit access, professional genealogists are often granted access that other researchers might not be able to get.

 The descendant of several avid genealogists, Jordan McCollum works for 10x Marketing, an Internet marketing firm. For more information on genealogy research, turn to Heirlines Family History & Genealogy.

DNA Genealogy

The next time you are watching your favorite CSI TV show or a particular movie and stumble into the fascinating world of DNA, you might be surprised to know that our DNA can do more than identify a suspect or victim at a crime scene. In fact, DNA is now being used to identify ancestors in the new and exciting field of DNA Genealogy.

DNA Genealogy takes traditional genealogy and applies genetics to it. DNA Genealogy involves the use of genealogical DNA testing to determine the level of genetic relationship between two individuals (Genealogical 2005). DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, is used in the process because of its unique nature and the fact that it is passed down from one generation to the next. In the passing, some parts of the DNA remain almost completely unchanged, while other parts change dramatically. This property allows for the identification of certain consistencies between generations and provides the ability to identify genetic relationships.

There are two types of DNA tests available for testing DNA Genealogy: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome DNA tests.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is found in the cytoplasm of the cell instead of in the nucleus as is Y-chromosome (Tracing 2003). mtDNA is passed by a mother to both her male and female children without any additions or mixing from the father. Therefore, your mtDNA is the same as your mother's mtDNA. mtDNA is different in nature compared to Y-DNA. It changes slowly making it more difficult to determine close relationships and easier to determine relatedness. If two people have the same mtDNA, there is a very good chance that they also share a common maternal ancestor. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine if that common maternal ancestor was recent or instead lived hundreds of years ago.

Y-chromosome tests have been used more and more recently to determine DNA Genealogy. The Y-DNA tests are only available for males, because the Y-chromosome is only passed down along the paternal line from father to son. There are tiny chemical markers on the Y-chromosome that create a unique pattern. This pattern of markers is what is called a haplotype. A haplotype is used to determine one male lineage from another. This type of testing is often used to determine if two individuals who have the same surname share a common ancestor.

One of the early beginnings of DNA Genealogy was a study published by Bryan Sykes in 2000 (Sykes and Irven 2000) that used DNA Genealogy (Y-chromosome markers) along with surname studies to determine relatedness. The study compared 48 men with the same surname of Sykes from the regions of England and analyzed four Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) on their Y-chromosome: DYS19, DYS390, DYS391, and DYS393. The study found that of the 48 men tested, 21 had the same core haplotype and many others were only one mutational step away from the core haplotype. Skypes interpreted these results to reveal a common origin from an ancestor who lived some 700 years ago (Butler 2005).

Since its early beginnings, DNA Genealogy has come a long way and has grown rapidly. DNA Genealogy continues to increase in popularity as the price of tests becomes much more affordable and the number of markers and clarity of the tests become greater. Additionally, DNA collection techniques make it a very simple and pain-free process.

Sources

Butler J. (2005) Forensic DNA Typing; Biology, Technology, and Genetics of STR Markers, 74, 231-232.

Genealogical DNA test. (2005, December 7). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:52, December 8, 2005 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Genealogical_DNA_test&oldid=30489865.

Sykes, B. and Irven, C. (2000) American Journal of Human Genetics, 66, 1417-1419.

Tracing Your Ancestry Through DNA (2003) Genealogy.com. http://genealogy.about.com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/dna_tests.htm

Relative Genetics, a leading provider of DNA Genealogy, specializes in testing services on both the paternal and maternal lines, extended and nuclear family relationships, and Ancestral Origins TM analysis including both deep ancestry and ethnic heritage analysis.

Genealogy as a Hobby to Trace the Roots and History of Family

Genealogy is becoming more popular as a hobby for those people that are interested in tracing the roots and history of their family. It may start with looking at a few old photos of unknown family members standing at an unknown landmark.

All it takes is a bit of curiosity and you're on your way to the hobby of genealogy and wanting to find out where your roots are hidden. Once you make the decision to start looking into your background there are some things that you should know that will make the process much more fun and enjoyable.

Many people make their first mistakes when they are doing a genealogy search. There are several places that you can start your search. One of the most common places to start is by looking at the published information that is available for genealogy on the Internet. There are many sources that you can look at to see if there is a listing of your family history.

Another good place to look for genealogy sources is joining a club or group that share the same interests. This way you'll have access to their information and records. The more sources that you have the better your chances will be to trace your roots accurately and efficiently.

Another good source of genealogy information is by using the repositories of records that are found at many large libraries. This is a great source to use since you'll be able to access all kinds of information such as birth records, death records, wedding dates, divorce dates, and many other records that were filed with a registrar's office. These records are public information, which makes them great for you to find out all sorts of information about your ancestors.

There are several pieces of software that you can purchase that will help you organize your family tree for genealogy. This software will help you to keep accurate records of information that will help you trace your history.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at www.genealogy-center.com

How To Use The Census In Your Genealogy Research

You've gone through the preliminaries.

You've collected all your household vital records, interviewed relatives, gathered additional records from living relatives and followed-up on some of the leads that were developed. Now, you're stuck and not sure what to do next in your genealogy research.

If you've worked your way far enough back, it might be time to start checking the Census.

But first, you'll want to understand that while the Census Bureau collects some great genealogical information, it has the responsibility of confidentiality. As a result, the Decennial Census of Population and Housing on individuals does not become available to the public until after 72 years.

That's why you have to have worked your way far enough back in your research before you'll find the Census helpful.

But here's what you'll really like ... not only will the Census records help you locate where an acestor lived, after 1840 the Census collected age, place of birth, occupation, personal wealth, education, spouse, children, hired hands, and even immigration information. A gold mine for genealogists.

Copies of the original decennial census forms from 1790 through 1930 are available on microfilm for research at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC (http://www.archives.gov/), at Archives regional centers, and at select Federal depository libraries throughout the United States. In addition, these records are available at various other libraries and research facilities throughout the United States.

You can also check with the reference librarian at your local library and see if they're set up to borrow microfilm through the National Archives' census microfilm rental program.

There's something else you're really going to like ... immigration records are also on microfilm at the National Archives. These records have been collected for all major U.S. ports since 1820. They include Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Orleans. The western ports of San Franciso and Seattle are also archived, though those records weren't started until late in the 19th Century.

Here's what these immigration records include: the full name, age, sex, place of origin, and destination for every passenger on the ship. The records even include those who were born or died during the voyage.

And there's more. You can also track down some naturalization records through the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Naturalization is the process by which a a person becomes an American citizen. By law, a person can be naturalized in any "regular" court. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has records for the entire country beginning in 1906, but before this time, the procedure will only be located in the records of the court where it took place. These records often provide a person's birth date and location, occupation, immigration year, marital status and spouse information, witnesses' names and addresses, and more.

For Pre-1906 Naturalizations:

Contact the State Archives for the state where the naturalization occurred to request a search of state, county, and local courts records.

Contact the NARA regional facility that serves the state where naturalization occurred to request a search of Federal court records

For Naturalizations After 1906:

After 1906, the courts forwarded copies of naturalizations to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Naturalizations from Federal Courts are held in the NARA's regional facilities for the Federal courts for their area. Learn more: http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/naturalization/

Here are some additional resources that you might find helpful for learning learn more about the Census and how to access all the incredible information available to genealogy researchers:

USGenWeb Census Project
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/census/

Censuslinks.com
http://www.censuslinks.com/

U.S. Census Bureau's Genealogy Page
http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/

Census Finder
http://www.censusfinder.com/

There's nothing quite as exhilarating as uncovering new information about your ancestors. If you've reached a point where you aren't quite sure what to try next in your genealogy research, The Census might just be your best bet. Even if you aren't at that point, it's a resource that you should familiarize yourself with. Sooner or later, it's likely that's where your research is going to led you.

: Debbie Pettitt is the webmaster of Ancestry Review, an online site dedicated to helping genealogists weave through all the available Internet genealogy, ancestry and family tree resources to find those that best suit their needs. For more information, please visit http://ancestryreview.com

Genealogy Leads: Pros and Cons

Working genealogy leads can be an effective method of building your network marketing business. One of the biggest hurdles that you face in recruiting has already been overcome for you -- getting the prospect to buy into network marketing as a legitimate business model.

However, working genealogy leads is far from perfect. The person you call on a genealogy list may be very happy with their current opportunity and not open to looking at anything. They could be a wholesale customer, and not working the business. They could be inactive, and/or out of the industry altogether.

One of the biggest threats to working genealogy leads is the Do-Not-Call Registry. Recently, the number of phone numbers registered with the Do-Not-Call Registry surpassed 100 million. That number is significant, because the Registry has only been in operation for over two years.

We personally ran over 100,000 genealogy leads through a DNC scrubbing process, and found that approximately 1/3rd of the people on the list were on the Do-Not-Call Registry. In the North Eastern states, that number was over 50%.

We've even had several clients contacted by the Federal Trade Commission, because they were turned in by someone on a genealogy list who was also on the Do-Not-Call Registry. They faced the very real possibility of an $11,000 fine. Fortunately, none of our clients were fined, but they were certainly shaken up.

If you are going to call genealogy leads, protect yourself by having your list scrubbed against the Do-Not-Call Registry. Many companies provide this service - make sure you deal with a reputable one. One company we usually recommend to our clients because of their excellent service is www.DNCScrubbing.com.

Even with these downsides, there are still plenty of reasons to work genealogy leads. They are very inexpensive when compared to most mlm lead sources (even after DNC Scrubbing), and if you happen to land a big player, it can be the best thing that could ever happen to your business.

There are many ways to grow your business. Working leads is one of the major methods for this - and there are many types of leads, as well as a plethora of leads companies. No lead list is perfect. There are drawbacks and benefits to each one. Put yourself in charge of your leads - know who you are buying them from, what they are exactly (i.e., genealogy leads), the conversion rate, and if they are DNC scrubbed (to save yourself a headache from the FTC).

Being smart about Genealogy Leads is a good business move.


Ed Forteau is the co-founder of www.OptimizedMLMLeads.comOptimized Leads is the first, and only, company that can identify top prospects in any list. Visit their website for more details.