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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.

Article Source: http://www.familyhistoryarticles.com

About the Authors Paul Duxbury and Kevin Cook own www.amateur-genealogist.com and www.our-family-trees.co.uk two of the leading Genealogy Websites. In addition Paul owns a wide range of exciting websites which can be viewed at www.paulduxbury.com

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