Bring to Life Those Dead Ends in your Genealogy Research
If you are into genealogy, you will at some time or another hit a dead end. It is just a fact that dead ends are a part of this hobby, and they are frustrating. However, you will want to have strategies that will help you to get over, around, or through these dead end obstacles in your family searches. The following are a few tips that may help you when you run into a dead end and keep you from totally pulling your hair out. Though these tips will not solve all your problems, they should be able to get your through some of your obstacles and back on the genealogical research trail.
First of all, consider doing some networking. Though message boards, email lists, and newsletters are likely already a part of your genealogical search, you should lean on them even more in the case that you have hit a dead end. The worst thing you can do when you run into some sort of obstacle is to isolate yourself from others who may be able to help. By using the message boards and email lists, you are adding more brains to the problem solving process, which certainly cannot be a bad thing, can it? If you do not already belong to message boards or email lists, then you really should. They can help you with your research, act as added support in tough times, and can even offer you advice on strategies for finding more information.
Another strategy for overcoming your genealogical dead end is to go back over everything you have already done. Always make sure you have covered all of your bases. Otherwise you will be very upset when you realize that you spent months working on a problem you could have solved in the first five minutes. Many websites and books on genealogy offer checklists for just this particular issue. They will help you to make sure you have done all of the obvious things you can to solve the problem you are experiencing. Review some of your how-to genealogy books or pamphlets to make sure you didn’t get careless and skip over a step that could get you out of the predicament you have landed in.
As a last resort and this really should be your last resort, you can hire a professional genealogist. Despite what others who do this for fun might tell you, there are times when you should consider hiring a professional. However, if you do find yourself considering a professional, check out some of the genealogy websites that will tell you when you should and should not consider hiring a professional. After you read all of the information and you still think hiring a professional is the right thing to do, then make sure you do serious research on who to hire and how to hire them. There is even published information on how to do this. Then, at least you will know whether or not it is a good idea to hire a professional and how to do it. With all of the supposed professional genealogists out there, you should always make sure that you are getting a legitimate one that will actually help you overcome your obstacles.
Lastly, you can always just shelve the problem for a while. It may sound a little odd, but sometimes you just need to get disconnected a bit from a problem before you can really tackle it again. Work on another part of your family tree or another portion of your genealogy project for a while and just forget about your dead end. Then, after a few days, or maybe even weeks, get it back out and look at the problem with fresh eyes. You may surprise yourself with how quick of a solution you can come up with after a break.
Genealogy can be a lot of fun and a great hobby. However, when you hit those inevitable dead ends, it can be immensely frustrating as well. If you find that you have hit a dead end, then you need to know how to handle it. By following the advice outlined here, you will be able to overcome the majority of these dead ends. However, there are times that a dead end is a dead end, so just follow these tips and do the best you can, and good luck.
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