Research Strategies

One of the great things about being a genealogist is that you never stop learning. If you’re an experienced genealogist who still bumps up against brick walls now and then, consider taking one of our courses that aim to strengthen your skills.

Choose from the courses listed below to discover how to learn how to become a better genealogist.

Time Management for Genealogists

Do you block off time to work on genealogy, only to reach the end of the day with a mere fraction of your goals accomplished? Do you feel pressured by a lack of time, lack of energy or lack of focus? Instead of letting time manage you, you need to learn the skills to manage time your way. In this class, you’ll discover how to eliminate time-wasters and boost your genealogical productivity.
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Source Documentation 101

“There is no truth without proof.” Successful genealogists abide by this, and it will be your new motto after this course. Knowing how to accurately cite your sources helps you work smarter and faster, gives your research credibility and helps you bust down brick walls.
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Cemetery Research 101

We’ll get you excited about exploring your ancestors’ final resting places and give you tips on how to read tombstones, decipher plot maps and keep your research organized.
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Organize Your Genealogy

A successful genealogist often ends up with an embarrassment of riches: too much information in too many places. Whether you work on paper or do everything online, getting your research organized is essential to keeping track of ancestors and making sure you know where to put new ones in your family tree. This course will rescue you from unhelpful habits and get your workspace—virtual or physical—tidy again.
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Reverse Genealogy

Jump-start your genealogy by throwing your research in reverse: This course teaches you tactics to extend your family tree backward by researching forward, and strategies for locating living relatives.
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Mastering Google Search

Learn how to cut through the online clutter and locate information and tools relevant to your research. This course will take your Google searches beyond simple keywords, teaching you tips and techniques to build targeted queries for more effective, efficient research.
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Finding Your Ancestral Village

Most genealogists hope to “cross the pond” as quickly as possible—but to do that, you need to know the name of the town or village where your ancestor lived. This course will teach you how identify your ancestor’s place of origin, show you the key tools you need to do so and give you an overview of the factors that likely influenced an immigrant’s decision to leave home.
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US Military Records: Trace Your Ancestors’ Service

Honor the memory of relatives who served their country—and discover a wealth of ancestral information to advance your research. You’ll learn how to find and use records of the United States’ major military conflicts to trace not only ancestors who served, but also their widows and children as well as male ancestors who participated in draft registrations.
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Published Genealogies: How to Use Others’ Research to Grow Your Family Tree

Save time in your research by piggybacking on the work other family historians have already done. You’ll learn how to find and use published genealogies—both in print and online—to add branches to your family tree, while ferreting out errors that commonly creep into compiled lineages.
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