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Basic Genealogy
1.   Genealogy is the search for our ancestors. Family history is the study of the lives they lived. Using the information from each area provides us with a true picture of our family.
2.   Female lines are as important as male lines. Remember that one half of your ancestors are female!
3.   A generation is 22 - 25 years for a man and 18 - 23 years for a woman.
4.   When taking notes, use standard sized paper, one surname per page. Record source and identifying information so you can find it again, and note the date and place you found the information (i.e. volume and page). Use only accepted abbreviations and be sure you understand basic genealogy terminology.
5.   Remember to document everything you find on your ancestors. Undocumented genealogy is nothing more than mythology!
6.   Meaningful genealogy requires thought. Develop a plan. Set goals of what you plan to accomplish in a reasonable time frame (i.e. go back 4 generations, go back to the immigrant ancestor, do only my mother's female line, etc).
7.   Know your relationships: an ancestor is a person from whom you are descended. A descendant is a person who is descended from an ancestor.
8.   To find a birth date from a death date, subtract the age in years, months and days from the date of death. This will give you a very close approximation.
Census Research
1.   When you're looking at a census page, be sure to review the 10 families listed before and after the family you are researching. You may find other family members living nearby, and you're sure to find friends. People live in communities, and the community we live in contain clues for future generations.
2.   Begin with the most recent available census and work backwards. Census data has been recorded since 1790. Before 1790 you can use Tax lists and other local data that might have been compiled in the state you are researching.
3.   Don't assume that all children listed in a census belong to the wife. This may be a second wife, and the children could be a combination of 'his and hers'.
4.   A census is an official count of the population living in the United States on a designated day at specific intervals. The US Federal Census is taken every 10 years on a designated census day by an enumerator in a specific area called an Enumeration District (ED).
5.   The 1890 Federal Census was destroyed in a warehouse fire in 1921. Some fragments survived, but not much. You may need to look for other places for clues, such as city directories, tax lists, and the like.
6.   Soundex is a system of coding names for the census based on sound rather than alphabetic spelling. A variation called American Soundex was used in the 1930s for a retrospective analysis of the US Censuses from 1890 through 1920. Soundex can be particularly helpful if you're not sure how your ancestor spelled his or her surname.
7.   When the head of household does not appear on a census, don't assume he or she is dead. It is possible the former head of household is now living with one of the children.
Charts & Forms
1.   A Pedigree Chart is the road map for you and your ancestors. It begins with you and works back in time. Always use maiden names for identifying females in your Pedigree Chart.
2.   A Family Group Sheet identifies a couple and their children. Everyone has two group sheets - one as a child with parents and one as a parent with children (unless one does not marry and/or have children!).
3.   A Chronological Profile begins with your ancestor's birth and is filled in with various occurrences in his or her life. Continue to fill in this information as more data becomes available as a means of providing a picture of your ancestor's life.
4.   A Research Log is very important for the time when you share your data or decide to publish your work. You will need to know your sources for each piece of information. Be VERY specific with your information and quote authors, titles, pages, publishers, etc.
5.   A Correspondence Log includes the name and address of each person you have written to, what you requested, the date the request was sent and the outcome of the communication. It's a great way to keep your queries organized and to determine if you need to follow up with someone.
Definitions
1.   'Administrator' refers to an appointee of the court who settles the estate of a deceased who died without leaving a will.
2.   'ae.' or 'aet.' is the Latin abbreviation meaning "at the age of."
3.   'Affidavit' refers to a written and signed statement sworn in front of a court officer.
4.   'a.k.a.' or 'aka' is the abbreviation for "also known as."
5.   An 'alien' is a foreign-born resident of a country who has not been naturalized.
6.   An 'atlas' is a collection of maps.
7.   'Cannon Law' refers to Laws of the Church
8.   A 'citation' names a source with enough detail to allow someone else to find the source. An example of a citation is the title, author, publisher, publication date, publication city, and page number of a book.
9.   A 'Collateral Ancestor' is NOT in the direct line of ascent, but comes from the same ancestral family.
10.   'Consanguinity' means blood relationship
11.   In early American History, a 'cousin' was a relative by blood or marriage of any degree outside the immediate family.
12.   In early American History a 'daughter-in-law' was a step-daughter or the wife of their son.
13.   'D.S.P.' (died sine prole) means died without offspring.
14.   A 'Gazetteer' is a geographical dictionary.
15.   'Genealogy' is the study of the origins and descent of families.
16.   'Huguenots' were French Protestants in the 16th and 17th Centuries.
17.   'Lineal descendant' means being in the direct line of descent from an ancestor.
18.   A 'primary source' is a record created at the time of, or shortly after, an event or circumstance occurred.
19.   "Relict" refers to a widow or widower.
20.   The Latin word "sic" used in a transcription indicates the preceding word has been transcribed exactly from the original.
21.   A 'secondary source' may be material copied or compiled from other sources or written at a later date from memory.
22.   A "source" can be a book, record, object, or person supplying information.
Vital Records
1.   Vital Records include birth, marriage, divorce, and death records
2.   Death Records can be the least accurate of all vital records, as they depend on the knowledge of the person reporting about the deceased. Unfortunately, you will never be able to report your own information. How much do your children know about you?
3.   Marriage Records may only record the marriage itself. However, you may also find the Application for Marriage as completed by the bride and groom-to-be. Marriage records can often be corroborated with church records.
4.   Birth Records can be difficult to obtain; you may be required to provide proof of relationship and details of the person's death.
5.   Vital Records and event information are more reliable when they are recorded near the time of the event. The more time that passes between the event itself and the time the record is made, the greater the chances of inaccuracies on the record.
6.   When ordering a death, marriage or birth certificate, request a non-certified copy. It contains exactly the same information as the certified copy but is less expensive.
7.   Look carefully at marriage records. The witnesses and bondsmen may be related to the bride or groom.