Before We Start

No matter how long a person has been researching, or how much passion they have for following the ancestral trail, there will be times when the best path to success comes through the help of a professional researcher.

Suggestions to help define your intention and prepare your start.

• when hiring a professional may be appropriate
• how to make the most of a professional's time so you get your moneys worth
• what to expect during the process

Lean into a professional's knowledge.

• Adoption
• DNA analysis
• Discovery and research quality
• Family History
• Indigenous Status or Lineage societies
• Language barriers
• Onsite research / document retrieval
• Time commitments
  
• Validation of family stories

Setting up your project for success.

• Ask yourself, what are you wanting to accomplish?
• Are you looking for your birth parents?
• DNA testing to authenticate your research?
• A balanced family tree?
• Focusing on one particular ancestor or several generations?
• What type of information are you looking for? Names, dates, places? Or a short biography with an assortment of information?
• Are you planning a family reunion?
• Will the information be for personal use or distributed electronically to family members?
• End result: Electronic or a paper report with a compilation of records?
• What is the timeline you need this project finished by?
• It's very important to define how you want the project time to be spent

Background Information. Start making the list.

Below are important elements in preparing the project foundation. It's critical that client's share everything they already know about the ancestor(s) to be investigated. This will lessen costs and duplication of work. Presentation of materials is also important. Information should be relevant and organized.

• Ancestor names
• Birth, marriage and death dates
• Places where your known ancestors lived
• Gather your documentation: birth, marriage, death certificates, obituaries, religious certificates
• You may include other documentation, family stories, photos and artifacts (e.g. military medals), etc.
• Communicating clear expectations is necessary. Normally a one-hour preliminary search is completed free of charge discussing what can be reasonably accomplished before a case is accepted.

What to expect.

Family Research is an investment in your heritage and a legacy to pass on to the next generation. Quality research is not inexpensive.

• Costs vary with every project, along with the number of hours devoted to research. Documentation expenses are extra and some repositories have onsite fees. Sometimes referrals or subcontracting international genealogists is necessary. There are no packaged prices.
• Depending on the project, research takes time. From familiarization of the clients needs, review of records presented, developing a plan, researching, evaluating and writing the final report takes a significant amount of time.
• Finished Products. Clients receive a comprehensive report that will be the narrative of their familial profile. Information is supported by citations acknowledging the relevance of the published or unpublished work and generally its origin or location. Accompanying the report are certified documents or photocopies. These sources provide the evidence that confirms the narrative report. The exception is DNA work.
• With DNA analysis screen shots of relationship clustering, X and Y-chromosome charting and more. Sometimes interviews or mediation work is needed. Several emails can be sent with screen shots noting research progression and common ancestors. A brief report is written noting success, and or suggesting next steps or outcome for the client.

Start by listing what you have and do not know.

Download Clarifying Intention and Starting With PDF