Commercials for the largest subscription database indicate that the process of genealogy is simple you just plug in what you know, and the database does the rest Those ads might sell subscriptions, but they are misleading. Getting beyond that low-hanging fruit is not so easy; collecting the records and data needed to delineate a family tree accurately requires time, organization, and informed searching. Records are available from many places, and finding them is never a one-stop shopping experience. So how does the new researcher identify which resources meet his or her specific research...

Commercials for the largest subscription database indicate that the process of genealogy is simple-you just "plug in" what you know, and the database does the rest! Those ads might sell subscriptions, but they are misleading. Getting beyond that "low-hanging fruit" is not so easy; collecting the records and data needed to delineate a family tree accurately requires time, organization, and informed searching. Records are available from many places, and finding them is never a "one-stop shopping" experience. So how does the new researcher identify which resources meet his or her specific...