What is the "Why" in your research?

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Why, why, why, why? by dullhunk: CC BY 2.0


Celebrities are making the circuit of talk shows with books about "Finding My Why", defining purpose and motivation in their lives.  This is an approach to self-help for overcoming some negative aspects of one's life and adapting positive thinking and actions.  The common denominator in most of these books is asking the question, "Why?"

As genealogists, we have frequently asked "Why?" in our research.  "Why did they move there?  Why did they leave wherever they left.  Why, Why, Why?  It is often one of the first questions we ask.

It also one of the last questions we answer.  We get the answers to who, what, when and where through our research in BMD information and census records.  We trace the growth of families and their movement from place to place through newspapers and obituaries.

Answering the why question isn't always so simple.  One reason is our lack of knowledge about the circumstances about locales, history or family dynamics.  Another is generalization.


Tuscany landscape courtesty of PickPik: public domain


I don't have any Italian ancestors so I haven't done much research in Italy. My concept of Italy is "sunny Napoli, vino, olive trees and spaghetti." Why would you want to leave all that? Helping a friend with research, we found her family in Wisconsin as expected but found that one or two of their children were born in West Virginia.  Why were they there?

Looking more closely at the censuses, we found that they were working as miners; they had been miners in West Virginia also. When we looked more closely at Italy we found the area in Tuscany where mining was the main industry. Here was the opportunity to do much deeper research.


Obstacles to answering Why

  • Generalization about places and times
  • Lack of knowledge about history or culture of birthplaces of ancestors
  • Overlooking all the records for the entire family
  • Rushing past the Friends, Associates & Neighbors 
  • Focusing on ancestors out of context
  • Incomplete analysis of each record found
  • Researching online exclusively
  • Failure to follow up on every clue
  • Not investigating record types we don't like, whether land, legal, DNA, or military. We are all guilty!
  • Neglecting to write and update research reports
  • Forgetting the Genealogical Proof Standard


Find the Why in your research

  • Reverse generalizations; look at times and places for their unique qualities
  • Search for local histories beyond your family.  What kind of environment did they encounter when they moved there?
  • Take advantage of digital libraries, newspaper collections, obituaries
  • Follow hunches but require proof before accepting
  • Don't sell the family short.  There was a reason for their actions; enjoy solving the mystery!

Advice from expert researchers is not designed to frustrate, but rather to ensure that your conclusions are based on solid evidence. Following good guidance will slow down the process, but lead to excellent quality. 


MaryLynn Strickland



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Send your stories to m.strickland@skcgs.org








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