This one-hour virtual presentation covered why most genealogists begin their research online and often become frustrated with the lack of results. The cause might not be a lack of records at the specific site but the way they are performing the search! Participants learned basic online searching for the major genealogy websites. We progressed to understanding specific search parameters for specific sites. Next, we discussed whether it is worth the time to track searches as well as how to keep track of all the best ways of searching for a specific site. Finally, we explored different wildcard characters and search methodology to get the most out of a website.
Speaker Bio: Thomas MacEntee is a genealogy professional specializing in using technology and social media to improve genealogy research and to connect with the family history community. He is a popular national speaker at RootsTech. He is also a blogger, educator, author, social media connector, online community builder and has over 42 years of experience researching family history. Thomas was laid off after a 25-year career in the information technology field, so he started his own genealogy-related business called High Definition Genealogy. Currently Thomas shares many of his articles and videos for free at Genealogy Bargains (https://genealogybargains.com).
- Presentation Outline
- Basics of Online Searching
- Uncovering the Secret Records for Online Genealogy Sites · Should You Track Your Searches?
- Creating Site-Specific Cheat Sheets for Searching
- How to Leverage the Power of Wildcards
- Tips and Tricks for Smarter Searching
- Resource List
Video and handouts available here.
