Genealogical Research

Methods, checklists and tools for starting and organizing a family investigation.

11articles

Fotografias antigas, documentos históricos e mapa com alfinetes sobre uma mesa, junto a um diagrama genealógico e uma lupa.

Genealogical Research26/09/20265 min read

How to build an ancestor timeline using records from different towns and cities

Learn to organize events, dates, places, and sources in a genealogical timeline without confusing namesakes or assuming kinship.

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Mesa de pesquisa genealógica com duas certidões antigas de grafias diferentes, fotografias de família, árvore genealógica, lupa e caderno de verificação.

Genealogical Research25/09/20264 min read

Different names and dates on certificates: how to tell if they refer to the same person

A practical method for comparing spellings, dates, parents, places, witnesses, and sources before merging an ancestor’s records.

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Mesa de pesquisa genealógica com certidão brasileira sob uma lupa, mapas de Portugal e Itália, fotografias antigas, listas de imigrantes e documentos de naturalização.

Genealogical Research14/09/20268 min read

Certificate only says Portugal or Italy: how to find an ancestor’s parish or town of origin

When a Brazilian record says only that an ancestor was born in Portugal or Italy, the most efficient route is to reconstruct the locality in layers: family civil records, naturaliz...

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Pessoa pesquisa uma árvore genealógica em uma mesa com certidões de nascimento, casamento e óbito, fotos antigas e uma lupa.

Genealogical Research14/09/20268 min read

How to Find Your Great-Grandparents' Names: Which Records to Search First

A practical method for reconstructing the great-grandparent generation with birth, marriage, and death records without skipping relationships or confusing namesakes.

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Mesa de pesquisa genealógica com documentos antigos, lupa sobre variantes de sobrenomes e notebook com busca por Silva.

Genealogical Research13/09/20267 min read

Surnames with de, da, dos and joined spellings: how to search variants without losing records from the same family

A practical matrix for searching surnames with particles, joined forms, diacritics, and indexing errors without mistaking spelling variation for proof of kinship.

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Pessoa compara dois perfis genealógicos lado a lado em um notebook, cercada por fotos antigas, livros de família e anotações de pesquisa.

Genealogical Research04/09/20266 min read

FamilySearch changed duplicate-profile merging: how to review sources and avoid combining the wrong people

Learn what changed in FamilySearch merging and use an identity, dates, places, relationships, and sources checklist before combining profiles.

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Pessoa pesquisando registros genealógicos no FamilySearch em um notebook cercado por fotografias antigas, livros e uma lupa.

Genealogical Research04/09/20266 min read

FamilySearch Full-Text Search: how to find unindexed records by name, place, year, and DGS

Learn how to use FamilySearch Full-Text Search when standard search fails, combining name, place, year, DGS, filters, Fact View, and verification against the original image.

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Mesa de pesquisa genealógica com notebook exibindo a Hemeroteca Digital, jornais antigos, lupa, retrato de família e caderno de pistas.

Genealogical Research01/09/20267 min read

How to search for an ancestor in Brazil's Hemeroteca Digital when the name does not appear

A practical method for working around spelling variants, OCR failures, namesakes, and incorrect place or date ranges in historical newspapers.

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Composição editorial em estilo de arquivo histórico com lista de passageiros, ficha de imigração ilustrativa, navio, mapa do Brasil, lupa e fluxograma de pesquisa.

Genealogical Research20/08/202611 min read

How to find when and where an immigrant ancestor arrived in Brazil: passenger lists, SIAN and immigration cards

Know how to choose between SIAN, passenger lists, immigration cards, RNE/Model 19, inns and FamilySearch according to port, season and available data.

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Pesquisa por localidade no Catálogo do FamilySearch para localizar livros e imagens históricas não indexadas

Genealogical Research08/08/20268 min read

FamilySearch without results by name: how to find records not indexed by the Catalog

No results when searching for name? Learn how to search the location in the FamilySearch Catalog and open digitized books and images that have not yet been indexed.

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Ficha de entrevista familiar ao lado de uma matriz que relaciona lembranças a documentos de pesquisa genealógica.

Genealogical Research06/08/20269 min read

Father's Day interview for genealogy: 20 questions that generate clues and which documents confirm

Use 20 questions to turn parents' and grandparents' memories into searchable clues, record the degree of trust, and choose supporting documents.

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