We've all been there -- stuck at a wall in our family history that may seem impossible to get through, but trust us, you can get through it by taking advantage of a few resources.
Reworking the problem
First, when you are reworking a problem, a researcher
should make sure they've really done an exhaustive search. Besides searching again for new sources, one
must contact other researchers found working on the same information in any
online databases and check to see if there are any new sources they have
uncovered in their research. Beyond
that, good genealogy researchers will always drill down to the original
source. Databases and Indexes are not
records. They are a means to finding the
original record. Extracted information
can be wrong. One should always look up
the source of the source. Then, a researcher can
re-analyze their findings to make sure they have scoured every piece of
information.
Consult with a professional
Hiring
a professional genealogist doesn't need to be a huge commitment. A professional
can pull records for you at a library or archive, provide translation help,
decipher handwriting, share specific knowledge about a localized area or just
be a second set of eyes for your problem. Sometimes it can save you tons of time and money spent getting
education, or reworking a problem, when a professional can help you in as
little as 30 minutes or an hour. A
consultation can also quickly get you up and running with the records in a new
area.
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