so what analyzing records fred fhc 3 14-2015
TRANSCRIPT
SO WHAT!
Let’s Analyze
Dr. Shelley Murphy aka “familytreegirl”
Family History Center
Fredericksburg, VA
March 14, 2015
Genealogy 101
Begin with yourself or one of your parents
Know your records and resources
Write down your information-Document!
Who is your oldest living family member?-
Call them-Today
Oral History, Photos, and Sharing of Information
If you are not organized you’ll become frustrated and quit, or duplicate
research you’ve already done
Ref: Black Roots, Tony Burroughs pg.4
You will become successful in collecting pieces of paper.
If you do not have a system for filing, saving, or retrieving.
What goes Out Must come IN Whether you're writing to a cousin or to a county clerk
three states away, tracking all of your pending information requests is crucial.
Keep copies of all the letters you send — they act as records of what you requested when,
Tell the family of your successes or failures…it will become a recording and you might get some help or new information.
What you need to know about a
person
• Full name and nicknames (why nicknames)
• Where were they born, what county, city, state date, where they born in a hospital?
• What was going on in the area during the years you are researching?
• What were the parents, names, grandparents, etc, where they born, type of work they did, siblings…
• Type of work, who are the neighbors, church affiliations
Common Challenges Records not recorded into public record
Records destroyed
Denial-don’t want to know, it’s the past
Don’t want to share the information
Received information that is not the truth or reliable
You keep looking for people of color
Do you really have a wall/challenge?
GPS Genealogical Proof Standard-developed by BCG to
help build a case by extensive research and sounds
evaluation.
Apply the standard when you can’t solved questions
beyond a reasonable doubt
Ref: Christine Rose: Genealogical Proof Standard,
Building a Solid Case, 3rd Ed. Revised. (p. 2)
GPS Process-5 Steps1. Conduct a reasonably exhaustive search for all
information that is or maybe pertinent to the identity,
relationship, event, or situation in question
2. Collect and include in your compilation a complete,
accurate citation to the source or sources of each item
of information we use.
GPS Process-5 Steps3. Analyze and correlate the collected information to
assess its quality as evidence
4. Resolve any conflicts caused by items of evidence that
contradict each other or are contrary to a proposed
(hypothetical) solution to the question; and
5. Arrive at a soundly reasoned, coherently written
conclusion.
Timeline-Gotta Have One.
Why do you have to have one
Review the handout
Look for the gaps
Once you draft one-what do you have?
Why Develop a Research
Plan?
Keeps you organized
It’s a plan…
Saves some time
Guides you where you are going
Let’s sum this up You need to do a timeline in order to develop a good
solid research plan
You should analyze each document you received and
use the questions, etc to build your research plan
Murphy’s “So What” principle
Analyze-Let’s View a Death Record
Research Plan
Components-look at the
handout
Know the basics
Recognize the challenges you
might face
Complete a timeline on your
ancestor
Use the “So What” principles to
analyze
Develop your research plan
Information Contact: [email protected]
Find me on Facebook: Shelley Murphy, living in Paris,
France or Afro-American Historical Genealogical
Society, Central Virginia Chapter
Twitter: @familytreegirl
Telephone: 434-806-7433