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5 mistakes to avoid when exploring family history
Researching family history can be a fascinating journey, uncovering surprising information about one’s ancestors. However, it’s important to exercise caution during the process, as mistakes in genealogy research can be time-consuming and might lead to the wrong family tree. Whether one’s a beginner or a seasoned genealogist, the key to finding reliable sources and obtaining positive and desired results is to make the right choices and steer clear of any potential mistakes. Solely relying on online sources Online sources are a great tool when looking for leads to find family history. But online databases are just one source; one cannot miss out on key offline sources such as libraries, archives, marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, land records, historical societies, etc., that can help in the search for one’s ancestors. Also, remember that not all the data found on the internet is accurate and reliable. Adding the wrong names or people to the family tree can bring one down to the starting point of the search. One needs to distinguish between real and fake data by verifying the source and adding it to the family tree. Dig deeper into the details of each family member by finding out the names of parents, spouses, children, and their professional occupations, among other factors.