YOUR BUMPER GUIDE TO ONLINE RESEARCH
Few family historians envisage an end to their research. Perhaps the focus switches to another family branch or individual, but there is always scope for finding out more. All researchers take stock occasionally, consider how much has been achieved, and review the options for moving forward. Sometimes, the choices for developing your research online seem overwhelming, so here we aim to help you focus on the next steps.
Organising your research
Firstly, review how you organise your research findings and keep track. If you usually add search results to an online tree hosted by one of the big websites, is this always best? Remember to check the website’s terms and conditions and privacy options. Be aware that whatever information you upload may be available for the world to see and download, depending on your privacy settings. Whilst many researchers are comfortable with this, it’s important to understand the implications. Also, what happens to your data if you cancel a website subscription? Ensure you can transfer your files if you want to.
Some online trees are completely public, so consider this aspect before uploading your data. With Ancestry, for example, you can choose to keep your tree private, or private but searchable, or make it public (except for living individuals). If your tree is private, you may choose to share it with other researchers looking into the same family, whilst retaining control over your data.
The major websites encourage researchers to share their findings in public trees, which can be useful. However, if your tree includes information sourced from other members, it’s worthwhile reviewing their original sources. Your own tree will be more reliable if it’s based on confirmed documentary evidence.
Online trees have advantages when it comes to linking relevant historic records from the host
