To search for - Family History Library Favorites

Transcription

How Genealogists Can Effectively
Research on the Web
Barry J. Ewell
bj57barry@msn.com
Invitation

Open your mind to ideas.
Choose what you need.
Use what you take.
Share what you learn.
During this Presentation

Define genealogy on the internet.

Using the internet to find genealogical
resources not on the internet.
Define the “search engine” and
constructing effective internet searches.
02
Genealogist Primer
for Searching on the
Internet
03
Internet: Comprehensive Genealogical Library and
Records Archive

Technology have not
changed the
principles of
genealogical
research.
Genealogical
research is a
methodical process.
Use a variety of
finding aids to help
locate primary and
secondary source
data needed.
1. Identify what
you know
about your
family.
5. Evaluate,
copy, and use
the
information.
Genealogy
5
Steps
2. Decide what
you want to
learn.
Process
4. Obtain and
search the
record.
3. Select a
record to
search.
04
Genealogy Requires a Combination of Resources
Personal
resources
• Diaries
• Letters
• Photographs
• Family Bibles
Libraries
• Books
• Microfiche/fil
•
•
•
•
m
Newspapers
Journals
Newsletters
Magazines
Archives and
other record
repositories
• Vital
records
• Census
records
• Ship
passenger
lists
• Naturalizatio
n records
• Military
records
The LDS
Family History
Library and
Centers
Genealogical
and historical
societies
Journals
Quarterlies
Newsletters
Localityspecific
publications
Miscellaneous
sources
• Ethnic
collections
• Church
records
• Fraternal
groups
Internet
• Search
•
•
•
•
•
engines
Directories
Compiled
genealogy
databases
Transcribed
records
Compiled
family history
pages
Library
indexes and
catalogs
05
Advantages of Genealogy Research on Internet

A classroom

A meeting place

Library or archive

A reference library

A shopping mall

A forum to publish your
own family information and
research findings.
06

Research on the internet saves
time, money, and energy.

A variety of finding aids are
available to help locate primary
and secondary source data.

Communicate with others
researching the same surnames,
time periods of history and/or
geographical areas.

World-wide community making
records available online:
• Government agencies
• Volunteers
• Commercial
07

People are using message boards,
chat rooms, newsgroups and mailing
lists exchange information
• Common localities
• Genealogical topics
• Specific surnames
08
Limits of Genealogy Research on Internet

Not all sources are perfect—as
with print, online records can
have errors.

One cannot enter a surname in
Google and find a completed
family history.

Few digital copies of the original
record to document data are
found on internet.

Few documents have citied
resources.

Resources can be there today
and gone tomorrow.
09
Limits of Genealogy Research on Internet

To access the Internet, you
need
•
•
•

Computer with a modem
(e.g., phone plug that
connects to a phone
line)
An Internet Service
Provider
An Internet browser
Field research is still needed
to fill in the gaps not found
online.
010
Necessary Internet Skills for the Genealogist

Navigate the internet with search
engines.

Locate other researchers interested
in the same ancestors.

Post queries.

Send and receive e-mail.

Search large databases for
information about specific
individuals.

Search directories listing addresses
and phone numbers for an entire
country.
011
Necessary Internet Skills for the Genealogist

Search library catalogs for books
and other sources that might help in
your research.

Join computer chat and lecture
sessions for ideas and tips to help
your research.

Invest in learning how to research
specific record types.

Ask questions of others.

Learn the capabilities and limits of
your equipment and software.
012
Guidelines for Sharing Data and Posting Data to the Internet

Truth is the primary goal

Conclusions should be evidencebased

Treat compiled information from online sources or digital databases in
the same way as other published
sources

Use internet primarily as a guide to
locate original records, but not as
evidence for a conclusion or
assertion.
013

Accept digital images or
enhancements of an original record
when you have assurance the image
accurately reproduces the unaltered
original.

Always cite the sources for
information or data posted on-line or
sent to others.

Preserve the integrity of your own
databases by evaluating the
reliability of downloaded data before
incorporating it into your own files.
014

Reduce the proliferation of error,
rumor and fraud by personally
verifying or correcting information,
or noting it as unverified, before
passing it on to others.

Plagiarism is an unacceptable
practice.

Open communication and
cooperation advance genealogy.
015
Free Forms, Software, and Reference Directory Sites

Genealogy dictionaries

Download free forms, logs,
worksheets

Download free software

Foreign translation tools

Historical maps

Quick reference sites of every kind

Online Tutorials

Podcasts

E-Learning demonstrations
016
Effectively Using
the Search Engine
017
Search Engines:
The Genealogist Internet Retrieval System

Genealogy searches begin and end
with a search engine, like Google,
Yahoo, and/or MSN.

The difference in finding the obvious
and hidden gems is in your query.
• You can narrow and broaden
your search.
• Sometimes it’s a stroke of
inspiration of what to enter in
the search.
• Your knowledge and use of
query logic will deliver results.
018
Defining the Search Engine

A search engine is designed to help
find information stored on a
computer system accessed through
a means such as the World Wide
Web.
• The search engine allows you to
make a query with a word or
phrase.
• Search engines use regularly
updated indexes to operate
quickly and efficiently.
019
Defining the Search Engine

There are several types of search
engines which range from searching
for newsgroups and directories to
databases.
• Vertical search engines
• Category-focused vertical search
engines
• Media-focused search engines
• Forum and discussion group
search engines
• Metasearch engine
• Image search engine
020
Defining Media-focused Search Engines

This type of engine searches for
specific online media among which
includes the following
subcategories:
•
Forum and discussion group
search engines. These engines
scan discussion boards, forums,
groups, answer pages and other
collaboration online media.
•
News group search engines.
Scans news groups worldwide.
•
Blog search engines. Focuses on
searching web logs or "the
blogosphere."
021
Defining Media-focused Search Engines
•
Mailing list search engines.
Search in mailing lists.
•
Chat search engines. Search on
chat rooms.
•
Metasearch engine. With a metasearch engine you enter your
search criteria once and the
query is sent to multiple search
engines and/or databases at the
same time.
022
Customizing
Google
023
Choose the Language

Google allows you to search for web
pages in the language you choose
• Language specific home page
display.
• You can set your Google home
page to be displayed in a
particular language.
• Google offers 100-plus
languages to set up your site
messages.
024
Website Translation

Google translates sites
published in
• Italian
• French
• Spanish
• German
• Portuguese
• English
025
Search Filtering

Moderate filtering
• Excludes most explicit
images.
• This is your default
SafeSearch setting.

Strict filtering
• Applies SafeSearch filtering
to all your search results
(i.e., both image search and
ordinary web search).

No Filtering
• Turns off SafeSearch
filtering completely.
026
Choose the Number of Results to Display.

Usually a web search will return
10 results per page.
This option allows you to
choose 20, 30, 50 or 100 results
per page.
20
30
50
100
027
Setting-up Your
Genealogy
Internet Search
028
Before Your Start Your Internet Search

Idea 1: Write down the
question your are seeking to
answer.
Tip 1: Select two or three most
meaningful words from your question
to start your search.
Tip 2: Identify broader terms,
narrower terms and synonyms.
Question:
Did Maxey Ewell live in
Goochland County, Virginia in
1750?
Key Words:
• Maxey Ewell
• Goochland County, Virginia
1750
Tip 3: Try different keywords or
controlled vocabulary words if the
first keywords give unsatisfactory
results.
029
Before Your Start Your Internet Search

Idea 2: Write a sentence that
describes your research topic.
Research Topic:
Follow the Reinhardt Wagner
family of Otis, Kansas in the
state and federal census from
1900 to 1930.
Key Words:
• Reinhardt Wagner
• Otis, Kansas
• State Census
• Federal Census
• 1900 to 1930
030
Choose Your Words Carefully

Use words likely to appear on
the pages you want .
USE [ Idaho luxury hotel]
NOT [ a fancy place to stay in Idaho ]
USE [ tutorial ] [ introduction ] or
[ overview ]
NOT [ help ]

Be specific.
USE [ antique metal soldiers ]
NOT [ old toys ]
031
Things to Know about Google Searches

Be brief.
• Google limits your query to 10
words maximum
• For best results, use a few very
precise words.
Google is not case-sensitive
regarding the parameters of your
search.
• A search on the uppercase
“SMITH” will generate the same
40 million results as a search on
the lowercase “smith.”
032
Using the
Language of the
Internet Search
Query
033
Boolean Operators

Define the relationships between
words or groups of words.

Used to broaden or narrow a search.
Boolean operators used to qualify
search parameters.
034
Boolean Operators

AND Narrow search and
retrieve records containing
all of the words it
separates.
AND, +
apple
Washington
apple and Washington
Returns with pages containing
both “apple” and “Washington”
035
Boolean Operators

Put a + sign operator in
front of the word in the
query that you want to be
included.

The + operator is typically
used in front of stop words
that Google would ignore
such as where how, the as
well as certain single digits
and single letters, because
they tend to slow down
your search without
improving the results.

Do not put a space
between the + and the
word.
AND, +
Louis +I France
Returns information about Louis
the First (I), weeding out other
kings of France.
036
Boolean Operators

Narrow search and
retrieve records that do
not contain the term
following it.
NOT, NOT, apple
Mac
apple not mac
both “apple” but not “Mac.”
“Washington”
037
Boolean Operators

– To find pages without a
particular term, put a –
sign operator in front of
the word in the query.
As you search you can
exclude terms to narrow
your search.
NOT, –
NOT, Salsa –dance –class
Returns pages about Salsa but
excludes those relating to dance
or dance classes.
dolphins –football
Returns pages about dolphin but
excludes those football.
038
Boolean Operators

OR Broaden search and
retrieve records
containing any of the
words it separates.
OR, ;
apple
orange
apple or orange
either “apple” or phrase “pink
lady.”
039
Boolean Operators

You can use many of the
search operators in
conjunction with the
basic search operators +,
–, OR, and " ".
Combining
Boolean Operators
apple
“pink lady”
apple or “pink lady”
either “apple” or phrase “pink
lady.”
040
Boolean Operators

( ) Group words or
phrases when combining
Boolean phrases and to
show the order in which
relationships should be
considered.
()
(mouse or
Mice)
(Gene or
pseudogene)
(mouse or mice) and (gene or pseudogene)
combinations like:
mouse and gene
mice and gene
mouse and pseudogene
mice and pseudogene
041
Boolean Operators

Quotation marks are used
in searches to denote that
you are specifically looking
for these words in this
order.
By using quotations, you
are able to make the search
more targeted and avoid a
lot of unwanted search
results.
“ (keywords)”
no parentheses
“washington
apple”
“ washington apple”
the phrase “washington apple.”
042
Using Special
Characters in
Your Search
Query
043
Wildcard Searches Using Asterisk *

Use the (Asterisk) * for
stemming. Represents 0 to
6 characters.
(Partial word)*
Joh*
You cannot start a query
an *
Correct: John*
Incorrect: *John
You must have at least 3
letters prior to using the *
in your query.
Correct: Joh*
Incorrect: Jo*
Returns pages containing words
that with the partial keyword. E.g. ,
john
Johnson
johnsen
johnathon
johns
044

Use Asterisk (*) for
proximity searches for
names.
• first middle last
• last first middle
• first last
• last first
“(Name) * (Name)”
“Barry * Ewell”
Returns pages containing Barry
Ewell separated by 1 or more
words.
To search for “Barry”
adjacent or separated one
word from “Ewell,” requires
four queries:
• “Barry Ewell”
• “Barry * Ewell”
• “Ewell Barry”
• “Ewell * Barry”
045

Use Asterisk (*) for phrases.

Asterisk (*) acts as
placeholder for one or more
words.

Examples:
“(phrase) * (phrase)”
“to be or * is the question”
Returns pages containing phrase
that is separated by 1 or more
words.
“to be or * is the question”
“to be * or not * is the question”
046

Use Asterisk (*) for dates.
“August * 2007”
“8/*/07”
“Aug * 2007”

If there’s a date on the page
you’re seeking but you don’t
know its format, specify
several common formats
using the OR operator and (*).

Example:
Dates *
“BYU Education Week August * 2007”
Returns pages containing phrase
and date.
California election “Oct * 2003“ OR “10/*/03“ OR “October * 2003“
047

If you think you will be doing
a lot of proximity searches
consider using: interested in
running proximity searches,
try out GAPS, a third-party
search tool.
GAPS Proximity Searches
www.staggernation.com/cgi-bin/gaps.cgi
048
Wildcard Searches Using Question Mark ?

Question mark ?,
represents looking for
alternate spellings where
one letter may make the
difference.
You cannot start a query
an ?
Correct: Sm?th
Incorrect: ?Smith
?
sm?th
Returns pages containing words
with the alternate spelling of 1
letter. E.g.,
Smith
Smyth
Smoth
Smath
049
Search Within a Range of Numbers

Specify that results contain
numbers in a range by
specifying two numbers,
separated by two periods,
with no spaces.

Use the .. for ranges such as:
$25..$45
1800..1850

Researching Irish Migration
took Place. Try:
(#)..(#)
Iowa Maps 1800..1850
Returns link to a map.
Irish Migration 1850..1900
050
Operator ~

The tilde (~) operator takes
the word immediately
following it and searches for
• Specific word
• Word’s synonyms
• Term with alternative
endings
~(Word)
cenus~guide
Returns both the specific word,
synonyms, and term with
alternative endings.
The tilde (~) operator works
best when applied to general
terms and terms with many
synonyms. E.g.,
Enter: ~guide
Returns: guide, help,
tutorial, or tips
Tip. put the ~ (tilde) next to the word,
with no spaces between the ~ and its
associated.
051
Restricting
Internet
Searches
052
Find Information About the Corresponding Web Page

Info: Use for links to more
info about a page (e.g., pages
that mention the URL)
Info: (enter site)
www.ewellfamily.org
• Show Google's cache
• Find web pages that are
•
•
•
similar to
Find web pages that link to
Find web pages from the site
Find web pages that contain
the term
info:www.ewellfamily.org
Returns information related to site.
053
Shows Pages that Point to a Specific URL
Link: (enter website)

Link: Use what sites link to
a specific page.

Example: Research Scotch
Irish and you want to see
what other sites are linked
to page which may lead to
other sources.
link:rootsweb.com/~chalkley/
Returns results of other sites that are
link to this page.
054
A Word about Google Indexing

Some Genealogy sites
have 1000’s of pages.

When you conduct a basic
Google search, you get
responses from what
Google has about the top
few pages.

The rest of the site is
“Invisible.”
055
A Word about Google Indexing

How do you get Google to
return information that is
beyond the top level?
• Website
• Domain Search

Example:
www.familysearch.org

All of the pages become
visible.
056
Search Only One Website or Domain

(Key word) Site: (enter site)
Website: restricts your
search to a specific site or
domain and can be used to
eliminate commercial
results from your query.

There should be no space
between site: and
site/domain.

Example: Enter specific
site to gain a complete
search of the site. E.g.,
“Maxey Ewell” site:rootsweb.com
Returns only information about
“Maxey Ewell” from the
rootsweb.com website.
“Maxey Ewell” site:rootsweb.com
German Maps site:familysearch.org
057
Search Only One Website or Domain

Site: simply use domain
extextions as your search
criteria. E.g.,
• .com
• .edu
• .gov
• .net

Example: Use .org or org
to find census records.

Example: Find information
on Windows security from
all sites except
microsoft.com, enter:
(Key word) Site: (enter domain
extension)
“clark county” cenus site:.org
Returns results for “clark county”
census only from domains that have
the .org extension.
windows security –site:microsoft.com
058
Restricting Your Search

Enter an address with city
and state or zip code for a link
to a map
(enter address)
2400 Bayshore Mountain View CA
Returns link to a map.
059
Restrict Results to Terms Located in Anchor Text Links

allinanchor: Google
restricts results to pages
containing all query terms
you specify in the anchor
text on links to the page.

Anchor text is the text on a
page that is linked to
another web page or a
different place on the
current page.

When using allinanchor: in
your query, do not include
any other search
operators.
allinanchor: (text)
allinanchor:german immigration
Returns pages in which the anchor
text on links to the pages contains
the words “german” and
“immigration.”
060
Restrict Results to Text Appearing in Page

allintext: (text)
allintext: All query words
must appear the in text of
the page
allintext:John Jones 1858 Spanish Fork
Returns pages in which Johh Jones
1856 Spanish Fork appear in the of
the page.
Example: Search for
recipes with these three
ingredients.
18
allintext:ingredients cilantro chicken lime
061
Restrict Results to Title of the Page
allintitle: (text)

allintitle: All query words
must appear in the title of
the page.
When using allintitle: in
your query, do not include
any other search
operators.
allintitle: North Carolina Census
Returns pages in which North
Carolina Census appear in the title of
the page.
062
Restrict Results to Title of the Page

allinurl: (text)
allinurl: All query words
must appear in the URL.
allinurl:virginia huguenot
Returns pages in which Virginia
Huguenot appear in the URL of the
page.
063
Display Google's Cached Version of a Web Page

cache: Display Google's
cached version of a web
page.

Google takes a snapshot of
each page examined as it
crawls the web and caches
these as a back-up in case
the original page is
unavailable.

Scenario: You found a
website last month and this
month you return the
website can not be found.
If you have the URL, you
can use cache: to review
Google’s cashed version.
cache: (URL)
cache:familytrees.genopro.com…
064
Show a Definition for a Word or Phrase.

define, what is, what are
Show a definition for a
word or phrase.
define, what is, what are (words,
phrases)
What is podcast
Returns multiple definitions.
065
Find Definitions

define: Provide definitions
for words, phrases, and
acronyms from the Web.
define: (words, phrases, or
acronyms)
define:census
Returns multiple definitions.
066
Google
Calculator
067
Google Calculator: Addition

Addition: + or plus
25+35
seventeen plus six
068
Google Calculator: Subtraction

Subtraction: – or minus
22.75 -15.35
Twenty five minus seven
069
Google Calculator: Multiplication

Multiplication: * or times
15*30
Five times seven
070
Google Calculator: Multiplication

Multiplication: * or times
15*30
Five times seven
071
Google Calculator: Division

Division: / or divided by
55/8
twenty one divided by three
072
Google Calculator: Percent of

Percent of: % of or percent
of
37% of 68
Twenty percent of eighteen
073
Specialized
Information
Queries: Units
of Measure and
Conversions
074
Google Calculator: Currency (money) and Mass

Currency (Money): US
Dollars (USD), Euros,
Britain Pounds (GBP)

Mass: Kilogram or kg,
grams or g, grains, pounds
or lbs, carats, stones, tons,
tonnes
Currency (Money)
23 USD in Euros
Mass
130 lbs in kg
075
Google Calculator: Length and Volume

Length: Meters or m, miles,
feet, Angstroms, cubits,
furlongs

Volume: Gallons, liters or l,
bushels, teaspoons, pints
Length
3 miles in km
Volume
three quarters of a cup in teaspoons
075
Google Calculator: Area and Temperature
Area

Area: Square kilometers,
acres, hectares

Temperature: Celsius or c,
Fahrenheit or f
2 acres in sq km
Temperature
98.6 Fahrenheit in Celsius
98.6 f in c
077
Google Calculator: Time and Electricity
Time

Time: Days, seconds or s,
centuries, sidereal years,
fortnights

Electricity: Volts or v,
picovolts, amps or a,
ohms, henrys
1 year in seconds
Electricity
100 volts in picovolts
078
Google Calculator: Angle and Power
Angle

Angle: Degrees or radians

Power: Watt or W, kilowatts
or KW, megawatts or MW,
horsepower or HP
90 degrees in radians
Power
1 hp in watts
079
Google Calculator: Information and Quantity
Information

Information: Bits, bytes,
kbytes

Quantity: Dozen, baker's
dozen, gross, great gross,
score
2 bytes in bits
Quantity
1 great gross in dozens
080
Conducting Genealogy
Research Online by
Record Type
081
Learning About and Researching Record Types

Understand the type of records you
will be researching.

What is the record?

What information does the record
contain?

How has the record changed over
time?

Are there specific details about the
record that you need to know?
• Records were lost due to fire.
• Records housed in a different
county.
• Records have unique details
from a specific locale.
082

Understand the type of records you
will be researching.
• What is the record?
• What information does the
record contain?
• How has the record changed
over time?
• What other records are available
to support research?

Where do the records come from?
• County Court House
• State Archive
• Historical and Genealogical
Societies
• Libraries
• Church Archives
083

Are the records available in one or
more formats?

How can I get access to them?
• On-sight
• Inter-library loan
• Purchase
• Internet (i.e., free vs. paid commercial
site)

What are the key links to find
information by city, county,
state/province, and country?

Are there recommendations for
searching on the internet?
084
Genealogy Records on the Internet
1.
Audio and Visual
Recordings
2. Cemetery Records
3. Census Records
Online

Internet: Limited
• May find
ancestor
• Most important
to search for
background
related to
family

Internet: Limited to
Excellent
(depending on
local)
• Images of
headstones.
• Transcriptions
of headstones.
Internet: Excellent
• Images of
actual census
• Indexes
• Transcriptions
085
4. Church Records
5. Directories

Internet: Limited
• Use internet to
find and search
for churches in
locale .
• Use internet
catalogs to find
microfilm.
Internet : Limited
• Use the
internet to
search for
types of
records by
locale and
where located.
6. Electronic
Discussion Groups
Internet: Excellent
• e.g., News
Groups, Message
Boards
• Posting queries
• Researching
posted questions
and answers
086
7. Electronic
Recordings
8. Finding People

Internet: Limited
to Excellent
The amount of
electronic records
entering archives
is increasing.
• Email to Digital
images
Internet: Excellent
• Online white
pages
• Online maps
• Online yellow
pages
9. Genealogy CDs

Internet:
Good/Excellent
• Usually for
purchase or
interlibrary loan.
• Search catalogs
for types of
content.
087
10. Genealogy Chat
Rooms

Internet: Excellent
• Participate
with on-going
chats.
• Search
transcripts of
hosted
discussions.
11. Genetics Online
12. Histories
(e.g., Local histories, Family
histories, Oral histories)

Internet: Limited
• Search and find
research
projects with
your surnames.
• Learn how to
become involved
or start a DNA
project.

Internet:
Good/Excellent
• Find
compilations
and individual
histories.
088
13. Images (e.g.,
Memorabilia, Photos)

Internet: Excellent
• Individuals and
families
• Land to buildings
• Headstones to
Journals
• Original records,
periodicals,
books
• And much more
14. Immigration
Records
15. Land Records

Internet: Excellent
• Example:
http://www.ellisisl
and.org/
Internet. Excellent
• Tax Records and
Deeds
• Bounty-land &
Homestead
Records
• Example: BLM
Records:
http://www.gloreco
rds.blm.gov/
089
16. Rare Letters, Loose 17. Maps, Gazetteers,
Papers & Books
Atlases, etc.
18. Memorabilia
Internet: Good
• Usually one-of-
Internet: Limited
• Search images
• Search catalogs
• Find location
•
•
kind or limited
print run.
Kept in archives.
Access is limited
to internet images
or in person
review.
Internet: Excellent
• Maps of every
kind available.
090
19. Military Records
Internet: Excellent
• Major source of
information
about
individuals.
• Search images,
indexes and
transcription.
20. Groups of People
Internet: Excellent
• Ethnic Groups
• Native American
Records
• Religious Group
Records
• Slave Records
21. Personal Writings
Internet: Limited
• Diaries
• Journals
• Letters
• Post Cards
091
22. Printed Resources
23. Probate/Will
Records
Internet: Excellent
• Publish journals
• Newsletters
• Quarterlies
• Books
• Newspapers
• Periodicals
Internet: Limited
Internet: Excellent
• Search for location
• Free search
and availability.
• Search for
transcribed
records of
counties.
24. Social Security
Index
engines.
092
25. Surname Resources 26. Vital Records
Internet: Excellent
Gedcoms
Family Trees,
Family Websites
One Name
Websites
Lineages,
Surnames
Surname Search
Aids
Internet:
27. Free Forms,
Software, etc.
Limited to
Good
Each state has Bureau
of vital records.
Privacy laws by state
determine availability
of records.
• Birth, Death,
Marriages, Divorce
Internet: Excellent
• Dictionaries
• Free forms, logs,
•
•
•
•
worksheets
Free software
Foreign translation
tools
Online Tutorials
Podcasts
093
94