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by Sydney Ferris, Associate
Producer, Palladium Interactive, Inc.
Ultimate Family Tree <http://www.uftree.com>
[PolandGenWeb Note: the URLs for message board searches have been updated to correct outdated links.]
To enhance the success of your queries and searches, you can choose from a variety of options. Most USGenWeb Project and WorldGenWeb Project sites offer the option of posting queries, at no charge, on their pages. Post your query at the site(s) most appropriate for your research. RootsWeb is a great source for posting queries. RootsWeb hosts more than 4,900 mailing lists. You can join a list sharing your surname, topic or general interest and then post your query. Researchers helping each other is one of the best tools available. You can find an index of the mailing lists at <https://sites.rootsweb.com/~maillist/>.
Another alternative for queries is GenConnect [now Ancestry Message Boards]. This is a search engine
located at <http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/script/main/rw>...
Asking other researchers for help is a good strategy.
When you post your query be sure to give lots of information about who, what, when, where, and why. Take this query for example: "SMITH; anywhere; anytime. Interested in ANY information about anyone named Smith, worldwide." Getting responses from everyone with that name would overwhelm you and is not likely to help find your ancestry. There are probably lots of people who share your surname. Provide enough detailed information so another researcher has a reasonable chance of knowing if there is a connection -- and that you will be able to absorb the information you gain. Be sure to include a name, date, and place. Including these facts near the beginning is helpful. Estimate if you don't know exact dates. Put the surname in capital letters.
Many people spend years (and a big piece of their budget) accumulating information, sifting through it, and carefully documenting their history. Why would they in one fell swoop give you everything they know? Genealogy is sharing, cooperatively working on problems, and independently verifying information. Queries that offer information are more successful than "gimme" queries. The "send me everything you know"
type of query is likely to go unanswered.
Better would be: "SMITH, David family from Juniata County, Pennsylvania in 1780 to Greenfield, Ohio in 1810 and Vincennes, Indiana in the mid-1800s. Related surnames are Bonner and Ghormley. Will share information about this family in Pennsylvania." This query tells something about your project, encourages other genealogists to reply, and offers to share information.
One way to start thinking about what information to include is to print a Tiny-Tafel report in Ultimate Family Tree <http://www.uftree.com> and use it to formulate your query. Each line in a Tiny-Tafel has one surname and indicates the earliest date in your database for that surname and the most recent date, along with the locations. Sometimes people simply post their entire Tiny-Tafel as it is a good " snapshot" of their research -- listing all the related names as well. Printing this simple report, paying attention to the content of your queries, and remembering the importance of &qout;share" in sharing information will make your queries successful." A small investment in good queries may result in a surprise present for the holidays." Good luck!
Written by Sydney Ferris, Associate Producer, Palladium Interactive, Inc.
Ultimate Family Tree <http://www.uftree.com>
Previously published by RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative,
RootsWeb Review, Vol. 1, No. 26, 9 December 1998." You may visit
RootsWeb's main Web page at <https://sites.rootsweb.com>.
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