{"id":633,"date":"2011-04-22T00:13:00","date_gmt":"2011-04-22T05:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/genealogy.julietarr.com\/blog\/search-strategies-ancestry-part-1\/"},"modified":"2013-07-06T22:19:03","modified_gmt":"2013-07-07T03:19:03","slug":"search-strategies-ancestry-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/genealogy.julietarr.com\/blog\/search-strategies-ancestry-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Search Strategies: Ancestry \u2013 Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ancestry<\/a> is probably one of your top go-to databases when conducting general research.\u00a0 For me personally, I like to start by building a family using census records and then move onto vital records.\u00a0 Once I have a pretty good feel for the family structure (including places and time periods), I start to explore a myriad of other sources depending on the place, time period, and the family\u2019s circumstances (i.e., did they own land or rent?).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In order to construct the family structure, I rely on Ancestry\u2019s collection of census images and any indexes or records related to vital statistics.\u00a0 I\u2019ve learned many techniques though trial and error on how to search effectively, and I am pretty successful in finding what I\u2019m looking for.\u00a0 I don\u2019t pretend to be an expert, nor the authority on Ancestry searching, but I thought I would share with you a few of my secrets for successful searches in hopes of helping you find what you are looking for and maybe even remove a brick wall or two.<\/p>\n

First Things First<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first thing to note is that I prefer to use the \u201cold search\u201d since I like the way it searches and displays the results.\u00a0 To toggle from new to old (or vice versa), from the Search page, click on the link in the upper right (just under the Ancestry menu bar).<\/p>\n

\"toggle\"<\/p>\n

In the \u201cold search\u201d screen, I also mark the checkbox for Exact Matches Only<\/em>.\u00a0 By doing this, you do not<\/em> limit yourself from wildcard or Soundex searches, but it does eliminate some of the outlandish results.\u00a0 Once you check the box, the search screen will change slightly.\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 This is for Historical Records (the others, Family Trees, Stories & Publications, and Photos & Maps are not part of the following discussion, but may be covered in future articles).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"search1\"<\/td>\n\"search2\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Search Screen With Exact Match Off<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Search Screen With Exact Match On<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Performing a Search<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of you know how to conduct a basic search, but I want to point out a few things by dissecting the fields in this search screen:<\/p>\n

\"search3\"<\/p>\n

First & Middle Name(s)<\/strong> \u2013 Use only one name in this field.\u00a0 Even if the person had a middle name, the likelihood of a record or index item containing both a first and middle name is slim.\u00a0 If the person went by both names, either together or interchangeably, try one first and if you don\u2019t find anything, try the other.\u00a0 More tips on this field coming up.<\/p>\n

Last Name<\/strong> \u2013 No comments here, as this is pretty straightforward.\u00a0 But lots of strategies are coming up shortly.<\/p>\n

Spelling<\/strong> \u2013 This drop-down allows you to toggle between and Exact<\/em> or Soundex<\/em> search based on whatever you\u2019ve entered in the Last Name<\/em> field.\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 You cannot use wildcards with the Soundex search turned on.<\/p>\n

Lived In<\/strong> \u2013 The first drop-down let\u2019s you select a country, and once selected, another drop-down may appear to the right, allowing you to choose another location, such as a state.\u00a0 This is helpful in most searches, but be cautious.\u00a0 Not all records have a place associated with them except for where the record came from or the location could be wrong.\u00a0 For example, in the latter case, a search for George Boone with a location of US and Tennessee did not provide the necessary census records.\u00a0 According to earlier census (by which the information was probably provided by one of his parents), his birth location was Tennessee.\u00a0 Since he was living in Iowa and listed his birth place as North Carolina, this particular search criteria didn\u2019t pick him up.\u00a0 It was only until I simply selected the US and let it default to any state that I was able to locate him in Iowa.<\/p>\n

Year Range<\/strong> \u2013 I personally leave this blank unless I am looking for an event in a very narrow time period.<\/p>\n

See also:<\/em><\/p>\n