Six Ways to Shrink Your Chances for Success by Juliana Smith This past week my washing machine went on to that big laundry room in the sky. Its early death was likely brought on by comforters and my husband's martial arts uniform, which weighs somewhere between two to three tons when it's wet. In the interest of energy and water savings, we decided it was important to go with a larger, more efficient front-loading machine. The new washing machine arrived yesterday, and I stood there staring at it with its neat buttons, user guide in hand. I couldn't wait to use it. How hard could it be? It's just another washing machine, right? Cold for dark colors, don't mix towels with delicates, and don't mix that new red t-shirt with your husband's white shirt. I fought back the urge to immediately throw in some clothes so that I could watch them being tossed around through the neat window on the front. (What can I say? It can get dull trapped in the house on a cold January day!) I knew low-sudsing detergent was a must, but I was worried there might be other things about the machine I didn't know. Not wanting to ruin my shiny new washer, I heard my dad's voice echoing in my head, "If all else fails, follow directions." I sat down and did the unthinkable. I read the users guide. (Gasp!) To my surprise, there were great tips that will give my washer and my clothes a longer life, and I learned about other features that I wasn't even aware of when I bought it. It really made me think. What am I missing by just tucking all those other manuals away in drawers? And how can I turn this experience into a family history article? How many of us have read the manuals or Help files for the family history tools we use? That is a misstep I have to admit, and I'm betting that there are a few of you out there who are guilty as well. Let's take a look at this and other mistakes that may be hindering our research. Misstep #1. Not learning how to use the tools we have. In some cases, we don't have to dig through that box of user guides; help may be available online. Check the websites of the genealogical tools and online sources that you use. Look for newsletters, online FAQs, user guides, and online support forums that can help you get the most from your product. New at Ancestry • _Port Arrivals and Immigrants to the City of Boston, 1715-1716 and 1762-1769_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jcG0GF) • _Ohio Marriages (Extracted from "The Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly")_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jcH0GG) • _Great Britain, Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War, 1914-1924_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jcI0GH) • _Australia, List of Convicts with Particulars, 1788-1842_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jcJ0GI) • _View a list of all new and updated databases _ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0ZFx0GJ) • _Learn more about what's new at Ancestry.com_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0ZFy0GK) • _Search the Ancestry.com Card Catalog_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0ZFz0GL) Play with Numbers As family historians, we collect a lot of dates, but too often we fail to look closely at that information. Choose an ancestral family and examine all the information you have gathered. How old were the parents when they married? How old were they when they had children? How old were the children when a parent died? If you know the cause of death, was it preceded by a prolonged illness? If so, how old might the children have been when a parent became ill? What impact might the answers to these questions have had on their lives? The implications may also affect the course of your research. _comment_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jcK0GJ) Ancestry members can learn more about products by subscribing to this newsletter, checking out tutorials _in the newly updated Learning Center_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jcX0GW) , checking out _the Knowledge Base_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jcY0GX) (click the "Help" link in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage), and reading about new enhancements _on the Ancestry blog_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jbi0Gm) . Misstep #2. Not questioning enough. Family historians are typically inquisitive by nature, but we need to extend that curiosity to the sources we utilize in our research. More experienced researchers have learned that when analyzing records, those created nearest an event, and recorded by actual witnesses, are more likely to be correct. But, after we discover a record or a link, do we take the time to question which aspects of those records are most likely to be correct, and which aspects are prone to error? When we find an ancestor in an online tree that goes back generations, are we quick to add the information, no questions asked? While it's great to connect with a new cousin, you can't assume that everyone has the same level of expertise or standards as you do. Misstep #3. Not recording enough information. I beat myself up for this all the time. I work hard at recording source citations for all of my finds, but too often when I go back to look at a source again, I forgot one piece of information--perhaps a page number, an image number, or even the name of the repository where I found the item. When you finish recording a source, take a moment and look at it objectively. With only the information you've noted, would you be able to locate this item again? Don't count on your memory because after a few years of research this research venture will have blended with many similar experiences, and you'll have no clue where you found it. Record key points by creating a form that you can include in a plastic sleeve with the record; just make sure you place them both in the sleeve immediately so they don't get separated. Some people have rubber stamps with fill-in-the-blank forms that can be stamped on the back of photocopies or prints. A search for "custom rubber stamp" turned up quite a few companies that allow you to design a stamp online. Misstep #4. Avoiding unfamiliar records. Nobody likes to feel lost, but our research often leads us into uncharted waters. We can anchor ourselves down to the familiar records, or we can set sail for new resources. Newsletters, reference books, and genealogical blogs are a few ways you can learn more about unfamiliar records and how to locate your ancestors in them. There are also a growing number of online classes available to genealogists seeking to expand their horizons. _PharosTutors.com_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0Zop0Gq) offers classes by a number of well- known instructors, including Ancestry Weekly Journal columnists, George G. Morgan and Sherry Irvine. Courses include a variety of topics. Misstep #5. Overlooking your local library and society. Too often we focus on resources in the areas in which our ancestors lived, but overlook resources in our own backyard. Check local and county libraries, and if there are universities in your area, don't overlook them either. We've found some links to Brooklyn, New York, politics in our family and in the search for background information, I turned to _WorldCat_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0fNm0GS) and entered the search terms "brooklyn politics," also including my zip code in the appropriate field. I found several publications of interest. One caught my eye since it covered the time period I am interested in, and I found that it is available at a university library three miles from my house. Local conferences or genealogical society meetings may offer lectures that can help with research in any location. Misstep #6. Organizational issues. This one is probably the most common misstep, but it also has its perks. I realize by now that it's highly unlikely that I'll ever have enough time to be that perfectly organized family historian. I try, but life keeps interrupting. And that's fine. My first passion is for family present, and that should be a priority. But, it does get complicated when you constantly have to search for this record or that. Be forgiving. Don't stress over it. Look at every day as a new beginning. By making small changes as you go along, you'll get there. I take comfort from the A.A. Milne quote-- "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." Juliana Smith has been an editor of Ancestry.com newsletters for more than nine years and is author of The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book. She has written for Ancestry Magazine and wrote the "Computers and Technology" chapter in The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, rev. 3rd edition. Juliana can be reached by e-mail at _Juliana@Ancestry.com_ (mailto:Juliana@Ancestry.com) , but she regrets that her schedule does not allow her to assist with personal research. > _Print or comment on this article_ (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/jr620SrkKs0HHn0jcN0GM) **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489