What's the Question?

We genealogists are often told by experienced researchers how important it is to begin with a research question. I resisted doing this for a long time, but now that I use a series of questions to guide my research, the search is more focused and actually finds more of the history of the family I'm investigating. I use a Google Doc as the  research proceeds, where I keep the question(s), the plan, timelines, checklist of resources to search, etc. all in one place. I've seen others use spreadsheets in the same way, perhaps splitting up things in tabs (Excel or Google Sheets). I prefer a document because I add source citations as I find them and I can begin writing up the case right there in the doc as the hypotheses are proven.

Specific Questions in Previous Successes

As beginners we often have no clue how much and what details we already know about a person, event or relationship, so it's hard to specify what we want to know. But when looking back at successful research, it might be easier to see what we were trying to find, and why finding the answer felt so satisfying. Ask 'what was my question as I began searching?' -- even if you didn't write it down then. How did I find the answer? What new questions did that answer bring to mind? What answers am I looking for now?

We can also ask for suggestions from friends or fellow researchers about how to improve the question, and also what resources we might be overlooking.

Survey Checklist

Experts advise a literature survey at the beginning of a large project, which should include the laws in that place and time, the social trends of the time, including local churches and civic organizations, health (disasters, epidemics, famine or widespread malnutrition?), government structures, and even the geography, as well as all the resources and repositories a thorough researcher would consult. 

Doing this background research and listing these resources at the beginning of the project helps us plan out the research so that general records, indexes and finding aids are used first. This can save time and the frustration of backtracking!

Courtesy OpenClipArt

Writing down a series of questions now works for me like a grocery shopping list works. I group produce together, for instance so I don't have to wander the store to find everything. Research questions function like that because we can sort the best sources to the top. We only work down to lower-value sources if necessary to locate the information we need to develop the evidence, answer the research question(s) and prove the case.

New Person, Place & Time

When I began researching my new-to-me third-great-grandparents George Henry McBee and Martha Willis, I first wanted to know who all the children were; in other words, who were the family of my second-great-grandfather William McBee? Until then, William was just a name on my great-grandfather's death certificate, which is quite flimsy evidence! As I have explored each of his siblings and their families, it's been a different experience than I've had in the past, because it feels like I have a map to the family. So many random questions from past research are being answered, even though I didn't write them down at the time. Now that I have a framework for the research, I feel much more confident that I will *know* this family in the end, and more easily move the line further into the past. 

Share Your Success!

We would love to hear about your research successes! Please write a paragraph or two, or a longer piece if you would like, and send it to SoKingNews@skcgs.org. 

Valorie Zimmerman