Genealogy Research & Education

Developing a Research

Plan

J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA

marklowe@kytnresearch.com

Reprinted with permission.

The probability of creating a successful research project is greatly enhanced when the project begins with a precise statement of research goals and reasoning for the process. Once this is accomplished, the sequential steps necessary for preparing a research plan and successfully executing the research project are easier to identify and organize. Substantial effort should already be invested in the concept and logical framework of this project.

Generally, a research plan consists of two general areas: the research concepts (identification of the research problem and possible solutions) and research logistics (collection of data, analysis, and process).

A well-planned research project will have clearly defined steps that integrate into the goals and purpose.

Research Concepts

Basic Research Focus/Previous Research

Research Questions

Choosing a Directional Question

At this point a research plan should include a written research plan. This may reveal addition problems with research concepts and questions and will promote the integration of sequential steps towards the answer.

Once we have developed a list of questions, we will likely see holes in our information. Although a well-crafted research plan can help us follow a wandering ancestor and his family from his original home to later destinations, our plan should include the appropriate questions and resources to find the answers and the thought process that lead us toward those questions.

Eliminate possibilities.

As we examine our evidence and plan, we may see that some areas can be eliminated from our research at this time. We should keep our focus as limited as possible for the project.

We all believe that we can remember where we found that bit of information. We can always return to the source of the information if we really need it at a later date. We might often become so hurried in our efforts to collect and record bits of data that we skip the basic elements of research.

Documentation is essential for the research process, whether the project is one undertaken by a professional or family researcher. If we intend to allow anyone to believe our work, we must strive to make it complete, comprehensive, accurate and well documented.

Research Logistics

At this point, we will review and select the records/resources that are likely to provide more information about the question. In determining the likely resources, we should consider availability, ease of search, and content.

Develop sources and use them well. Many good sources of information are simple to use and are readily available. Keep of a file of good research resources and your experience with that resource.

Develop a network of good research contacts. (other researchers, librarians, archivists, historians, and attorneys) When appropriate, ask them about research resources and keep notes on their answers. Don’t overlook or minimize routine sources of information. Researchers have been known to puzzle over a research problem for an extended period only to have the problem resolved a simple resource in hand.

Only believe what you see with your own eyes and have your eyes examined regularly.

1. Describe the research problem.

2. Summarize the known details. (Include the names, dates, and relationships)

3. Identify fully all records and repositories included in the project.

4. Identify any limitations on the research. (time, inaccessible records, knowledge)

5. Present both positive and negative findings. Be sure to include the reasoning and details.

6. Summarize the findings.

7. Develop a work plan for continuing the research. This plan should be based on the finding of this part of the project.

Directional Windvanes

Chronological / Time-Line - Arranging people, places, events and time in a linear study

Community-focus - Identifying relatives, friends, acquaintances in the transactional activity of the research.

Geographical - Arranging people and events within the confines of specific locations.

Comparative - Using Paleographic references or like characteristics to sort individuals.

Generational linkage – Using records that make specific connections from one generation to another.

Holistic - Assembling the “whole person;” collecting exhaustive data

Mathematical - Taking a numeric approach to research questions.

Psychological / Situational / Legal - Applying the rules bound by the community, the law or the traditional culture.

Transactional - Allowing records to dictate direction and further study.

Combination - Using a multiple-choice approach to the research focus.

Select Bibliography

Board for Certification of Genealogists. The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual. Orem, Utah: Ancestry.com, for the Board, 2000.

Chicago Manual of Style online: www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/

Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, 3rd edition, Genealogical Publishing Company, 2000, Baltimore.

Hatcher ,Patricia Law.“Producing a Quality Family History, Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1996.

Lackey, Richard. Cite Your Sources, Oxford: University Press of Mississippi, 1980.

Leary, Helen F. M., and Lee Albright. “Designing Research Strategies,” in Helen F.M. Leary, ed., North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History, 2nd Edition, Raleigh: North Carolina Genealogical Society 1997.

———“Problem Analyses and Research Plans.” Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians. Elizabeth Shown Mills, editor. Baltimore: GPC, 2001. In addition to the excellent coverage of developing a research plan, be sure to review the Further Study section presented in this chapter.

———,“Time-Lines and Real Lives: Using an Ancestor’s Life Patterns to Find his Parents and In-Laws.” 1997 NGS Conference in the States: Pennsylvania—Cradle of a Nation. 1997. Syllabus material, Arlington, Va., NGS, 1997.

———, “Reporting Standards: Client Research v. Personal Research” OnBoard 4, (May 1998):9-10.

Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

———, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2007.

———, ed. Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2001.

Porter, Pamela Boyer and Amy Johnson Crow. Online Roots, How to Discover Your Family’s History and Heritage with the Power of the Internet.. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 2003.

Brenda,
You have my permission to post the PDF of Developing A Research Plan. E-mail sent: 9/21/2009. J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA
505 Josephine Street
Springfield, TN 37172
marklowe@kytnresearch.com
CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists used under license by board certificants after periodic evaluations by the Board. The board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

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