Use the internet for family history research

Introduction
The Internet is a rich source of family history information. Many Web sites have been created to provide help and information. Without leaving your home, you can find research guides; maps; family histories; birth, marriage, and death records; and many other resources. Valuable information about your ancestors is most likely available on the Internet. So how can you find it? This lesson will introduce you to basic Internet research strategies and some of the best research tools currently available online.

Internet Genealogy Tools and Links
The amount, scope, and availability of genealogical information on the Internet is amazing. On the Internet you may be able to access images of your great-grandfather’s military records, find a family Bible, or connect with distant relatives. The following online genealogy tools and resources will help you sift through the vast amount of information on the Internet and find the information most valuable to you.

Search Engines
Search engines are some of the most powerful genealogical tools available. An Internet search engine is like a catalog or index to the Web sites available on the Internet. To use a search engine, go to the search engine Web site and enter one or more search terms (the words or phrases that best describe the information you want to find) into the search box. In response, the search engine produces a list of Web pages related to the search terms.

Search engines are not designed specifically for genealogy; they search for whatever words you enter into the search box. By entering the right words into a search engine, you may find Web sites that have cemetery records, pictures, Family Bibles, family organizations, and much more that you didn’t know existed. If you do not find what you are searching for, remember that every day people post new information on the Internet. Search again later for the same information.

Which Search Engine Should You Use?
Not all search engines are equally useful. Some index the first few sentences of a Web page only. Others index every word. No search engine indexes everything on the Internet. The following are some of the better search engines for genealogy:


 * www.google.com
 * www.yahoo.com
 * www.msn.com
 * www.ask.com
 * www.altavista.com