LOOK UP GUIDELINES (Or how to get your name to the top of the stack) A *Lookup* is NOT Research, it is just what it says: a lookup. I (or anyone else doing the lookup) am just your legs. You live far away or can not get to the resource and the information I *MIGHT* be able to find will push you a little ahead in *your* research. 1. FOCUS your search by ANALYZING your data. If I am forced to analyze your data for you, I will put your name at the bottom of my list until I have time to analyze it. Think: What do I WANT?? What EVENT? i.e., BIRTH, MARRIAGE, DEATH, other. on WHO? Choose a family MEMBER, not an entire family. Which Family member will give you the most information? What data is missing on that family member? Think: Where would *I* go to find this information if I were in a genealogical library? NEWSPAPERS, BOOKS, CENSUS, INDIAN ARCHIVES, ETC. 2. *After* you have done the above, try to complete as much information as you can. LOOKUP your city and see what COUNTY it is in. the Web site: http://www.itools.com/research-it/ has a GEOGRAPHICAL section which will take you to a searchable GAZETTEER run by the US Census Dept. 3. Be consise and organized in your Lookup request. Put SURNAMES in caps. _______________________________________________________________________ Here is a sample of a good Lookup request: SOURCE: Newspapers (or census/books/Indian archives) EVENT: obit (or other event) PERSON: SMITH, John Jacob Jingleheimer DATES: d. Jan 3, 1910 PLACE: Shawnee, OK, Pottawatamie county Other info that might help lookup person: Give details that you think might help here. Died in a fire, etc. for Census lookups family details, wife, children would go here. _________________________________________________________________________ If you want a HARD COPY, then you will have to send me a SASE and 1 dollar in the mail. My info is on the OKGenWeb site. I do pick up lookups in the list as I see something I might find for that person, but if you send me a private email, with the words LOOKUP in the subject line it will get my attention faster. In the next post I will show you what is on my lookup list right now. Nalora (another thing that gets you *permanent* status on my lookup list and will make me go to the ends of the earth for you is if you have discovered you are KIN to me, or are researching the same NAMES in the same area I am)