The Genealogist's Question & Answer Book [Paperback]

Marcia Melnyk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 12, 2002

Get your answers to your genealogy questions!

There's never been a better time to discover your ancestors. More family history resources are available now than ever before - making your research options almost limitless. So much information, however, makes determining where to begin, what to believe, and how to decipher it all a challenge.

The Genealogist's Questions & Answers Book helps you overcome these hurdles and make the most of your research time. It provides answers to more than 150 of the most commonly asked genealogy questions in a friendly, easy-to-browse format.

Questions are conveniently grouped according to the different resources you'll use: from census, church, and immigration records to oral histories, websites, electronic databases, and more. You'll learn what to look for in each document, how to interpret the information you find, and where to go next with your research.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

What is a collective naturalization? Why is there no 1890 federal census? These questions are symptomatic of the biggest problem in genealogical research: too often, genealogy newbies overlook valuable data or fail to optimize their research time because they have not yet learned the proper terms or numerous informational tidbits that can expedite research. In the form of answers and suggestions to 260 frequently asked questions, Melnyk (The Weekend Genealogist) covers not just the basic whats and wheres of genealogical records but, more importantly, the whysDwhy certain records were created and why they are important to researchers. Beginning with a chapter on general genealogy topics, Melnyk looks at how to begin research. She follows with discussions on various sources, including oral histories, vital and church records, naturalization and land records, computer databases, and cemetery records. Sources often overlooked, such as coroners' records and military hospital records, are covered in detail. Melnyk also documents sources and the reliability of records and provides a chapter of terms encountered during research. Throughout, readers will find record examples, charts of data, and bibliographies for further reading. Although many beginning genealogy guides are available (e.g., Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer's Long-Distance Genealogy, LJ 8/00), this book has a novel format, and the basic know-how it affords will help readers save time while thoroughly gathering data. Even researchers (and librarians) with considerable experience may encounter facts here that refresh or enlighten. Highly recommended for public and genealogy library collections. (Index not seen.)DElaine M. Kuhn, Allen Cty. P.L., Ft. Wayne, IN
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This handy guide provides the answers to more than 250 commonly posed questions pertaining to the methodology and execution of genealogical research and inquiry. The author, citing the often daunting and overwhelming availability of both primary and secondary resources in the twenty-first century, supplies a manageable framework for novice researchers. Categorized according to document type, the questions asked most frequently concern acquiring, interpreting, and assessing the reliability of church, census, hospital, military, tax, and funeral home records. The significance of accessing reliable information via computer databases and the Internet is also addressed. The recent boom in genealogical research is creating a demand for straightforward, easy-to-follow instructional manuals such as this one. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Betterway Books (February 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558705902
• ISBN-13: 978-1558705906
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaching oneself the art and science of practical genealogy, June 7, 2002

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Genealogist's Question & Answer Book (Paperback)

The Genealogist's Question & Answer Book: Solutions And Advice For Maximizing Your Research Results by professional genealogist Marcia Yannizze Melnyk offers the reader a solid wealth of practical "how-to" advice and inspiration useful to genealogists at all experience levels ranging from the novice amateur to highly skilled and experienced. Individual chapters address how to extract desired information from numerous types of records, including records of census, churches, the military, cemeteries, taxes, city directories, the Internet and much more. Strongly recommended for personal and community library genealogy reference collections, examples and step-by-step instructions make The Genealogist's Question & Answer Book first-rate for teaching oneself the art and science of practical genealogy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, April 2, 2009

By 

Clark B. Timmins "q-25" (West Jordan, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Genealogist's Question & Answer Book (Paperback)

The book presents a wide range of research methodology and correct processes--but it is heavily focused on USA research. It is written in the indicated "question and answer" format, with like questions grouped into chapters. The questions are typically fairly short, while the provided answers are lengthy and complete. In many respects, the book would be suitable as a reference work on basic genealogy--except that it is insufficiently indexed to allow one to easily find specific questions or topics. The lack of robust indexing is the book's major failing.

The section on census use is particularly strong, with detailed descriptions of which censuses exist, which have been fully or partially indexed, which have Soundex or Miracode indices, and how those indices work. Another section details resources available on-line; this section is useful but not as exhaustive as a work purposely devoted to the topic. All in all, a solid and very enjoyable work.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource book, January 11, 2012

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KC - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Genealogist's Question & Answer Book (Paperback)

I first checked this book from the library and couldn't believe the list of references and resources. I decided I need to have this for my own library. There is one section that lists all of the different census documents and what is on each of them. Great resource and reference book!