Rookie's Guide to Genealogy Research:
Course Outline

(last updated 01 March, 2003)

Purpose & Use of this Guide

1. Using the Rookie's Guide
• Purpose & Audience
• When will the Rookie's Guide be Finished?
• Printing Permissions & Instructions

Unit 1: Gathering and Organizing Family Records

1. The Family History Library & the Research Process
   • Introduction to the Family History Library
   • The Research Process
   • The Golden Rule of Genealogy
2. Identify What you Know: Recording Information
   • Golden Rule of Genealogy: Work from the Known to the Unknown
   • Using Forms
3. Family Interviews
   • Correspondence Types
   • Process
   • Correspondence Content & Guerilla Tactics
   • Equipment for Oral Interviews
4. Organizing Your Files
   • Motivations
   • Components of a Filing System
   • Instructions
5. Personal Ancestral File (PAF 3): Basic Editing
   • Creating a PAF file
   • Adding & Editing Individuals
   • Unlinking & Deleting Individuals
6. Personal Ancestral File 4:  Basic Editing
   • Creating a PAF file
   • Setting Preferences
   • Adding & Editing Individuals
   • Unlinking & Deleting Individuals
7. Documenting Sources in PAF 3
   • PAF 3 Advancements
   • PAF 3 Shortcomings
   • Workarounds
8. Documenting Sources in PAF 4
   • PAF 4 Improvements
   • Attaching Sources to Individuals and Families
9. PAF 3: Backups

Unit 2: LDS Survey Sources: Searching,
Downloading, & Submitting

1. Five Big Reasons to use LDS Genealogical Resources
2. Ancestral File: Searching
3. Ancestral File: Downloading GEDCOM Files
4. PAF 3: Importing and Exporting GEDCOM Files
5. PAF 3: Merging & Linking Individuals
6. Ordinance Index (The new IGI), Social Security Death Index, Military Index, and Scottish Church Records
7. Submissions: Ancestral File, the IGI, and the Golden Rule
8. Ancestral File: Submitting & Correcting
9. Submitting to the IGI & Ordinance Index
10. Vital Records Index:  North America

Unit 3: Finding Aids

1. Selecting Record Types & Using Research Guides
2. SourceGuide
3. Family History Library Catalog (FHLC)
4. Finding the Right Locality
   1. Gazetteers
   2. AniMap
   3. Handy Book
   4. Red Book
   5. Maps

Unit 4: Using Major Source Types

1. Census/Tax
2. Vital
3. Church
4. Probate
5. History
6. Biography
7. Family History/Genealogy
8. Periodicals/Newspapers
   • Obituaries
9. Bible Records
10. Land Records
11. Court Records
12. Directories
13. Military Records
14. Immigration/Emigration
    • Major Indexes
    • Naturalization
    • Passenger Lists

Copyright 2003 Michael T. Ritchey. All rights reserved.