Genealogy Online For Dummies - Softcover

Helm, Matthew L.; Helm, April Leigh

3.57

163 ratings by Goodreads

9780764559648: Genealogy Online For Dummies

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0764559648 ISBN 13: 9780764559648

Publisher: For Dummies, 2004

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Researching our roots has become a top national pastime, and with the advent of the Internet, it’s also become much faster and easier than before. Rather than hop in the car and hope you can find the courthouse of the county where your great-grandmother grew up before it closes, you can relax and research in the comfort of your own home, at your convenience. The only problem is where—and how—do you start?

Genealogy Online For Dummies, 4th Edition is a great starting point. Written by genealogists who manage and maintain several online genealogy services, this guide helps you make sense of the vast array of resources on the Web. It shows you how to

Search online databases
Explore genealogical societies
Use geographic tools
Research ethnic roots
Validate your findings
Share your research

So you don’t waste time and effort wandering all over the Web, Genealogy Online For Dummies, 4th Edition shows you how to set up your own personal database first, using information you already have from family members. Then it helps you make your search productive by

Choosing the right government resources to help locate your ancestors
Fleshing out the statistics with personal information from geographical, ethnic, and religious sources
Cooperating with other researchers, sharing information, and coordinating efforts with societies and research groups
Providing proven tips, reminders, suggestions, and lists of online databases
Offering suggestions for developing your own genealogical Web site, and more

To get you started in style, the bonus CD-ROM includes the full version of Family TreeMaker and Legacy Family Tree freeware, a tryout version of Adobe� Photoshop� Elements 2.0 for preserving treasured family photos, and lots of other valuable techno-tools. And it all comes with a warning: genealogical research can become addictive!

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Review:

The Helms have put together an excellent introductory guide to doing genealogical research online. They've avoided the usual trap of organizing their book by resources, which may be easy for the author but makes it harder on the user. So instead of devoting this chapter to useful Web sites, that chapter to valuable newsgroups, and so forth, they've organized the book in a way closer to the way you'd organize good family research.

They begin with a series of chapters on preparation, including doing initial groundwork, developing a plan, picking the names to begin researching, and locating ancestors geographically. Next, they deal with the means for finding valuable records and then delve into getting the most from your resources. Chapter 8, for example, discusses organizing and presenting your findings, while chapter 9 deals with cooperating with other researchers so that you can all be more effective (and probably make some new friends in the bargain).

As is always the case with a Dummies series book, the Helms present a "Part of Tens" section, in this case four chapters each covering 10 top online genealogical sites, tips for designing your genealogical Web page, sites for beginners, and general tips for "smooth sailing." An enclosed CD-ROM contains nine genealogy programs plus a wide assortment of Internet tools and utilities. --Elizabeth Lewis

From the Back Cover:

Use new tools to uncover your own personal history

Find out where to look, discover the best sites, and record your findings

Where did you come from? If family history fascinates you but the idea of all that research seems overwhelming, take heart! This book shows you how to lay the groundwork first, then use your computer to traverse miles and centuries. Includes great techno-tools as well as tips for getting the most from your research.

All this and more on the bonus CD-ROM: