Genealogy suggestions for beginners
Have you looked at
www.cyndislist.com?
Actually, most of the information on
www.familysearch.com is free. However, currently, to get copies of the original records that document the information in databases such as the International Genealogical Index, you have to either visit the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or rent (for $5.50? for three weeks) the microfilm at a Family History Center at an LDS church near where you live. Or you could try ordering the records from the original repository.
George Schweitzer has some very good books on genealogical research in PA, Germany, etc. His videos convey a lot of useful information in an very entertaining style.
http://www.yogs.com/OtherPubs/GeorgeSchweitzer.htm
If you are just starting out, my recommendations would be to
1. Interview your oldest ancestors and ask them to identify people in family photos, show you family Bibles, etc.
2. Keep careful records of your research. Bygones is a freeware software program for keeping track of your research. It is not easy to use at first but if you use it consistently, you will have an excellent record of how, when and where you obtained every piece of information in your family history.
http://www.bygonessoftware.com/ Clooz is an inexpensive program for keeping track of one's research.
www.clooz.com Some good books on organizing your research are Dollarhide's
Managing a Genealogical Research Project and Carmack's
Organizing Your Family History Research. Choose an approach that makes sense to you and use it consistently. Bygones and Clooz are meant to be used in conjunction with a lineage-linked genealogy program such as Family Tree Maker, Personal Ancestral File (free at
http://www.familysearch.org/), Legacy, The Master Genealogist, etc.
3. Be sure to document every piece of information with a copy or transcript of the original document whenever possible. Do not assume that someone else's research is correct until you have verified it yourself. Start with your own birth certificate. Get your parents' marriage records, birth records and death records (if deceased). Elizabeth Shown Mills has written a book,
Evidence that has numerous examples of how to cite one's sources.
4. IMHO, the price of Ancestry is worth it for the census images. If you can't afford Ancestry, check to see if your local library has a free subscription to Heritage Quest. You may have to go to the library to use this resource, though.
5. Check out the Godfrey Library at
www.godfrey.org. The Godfrey Library has many resources available for a relatively low annual membership fee. Many of these are online and free elsewhere, though.
Hope these suggestions are helpful.