Research Methods to Help You, "Cluster Research"

Research Methods to Help You

                                        by Susi Pentico June 2013                    All Rights Reserved

Methods to help you have the results you seek

!.   Record Keeping is Critical

2.  Timeline is a boost for research

3.  Know your Census’s Difference

4.  Go back where you were and recheck for new data, especially FamilySearch.org.

5.   Do not waste steps  : > )                Cluster Research

Do you wonder what that statement means?   

1    1.  When doing census research always, check page before and after page your looking at for more kin.  Save if some are there.  I was taught 20 up 20 down but since have learned page before and page after says time, verses having to go back.

 2. When researching a book. Make sure your using the Research Log, with page date, name, title, library affiliate etc. Just in case you find a link to more people involved in that family. Always use your Research Log,      :   >  )           

 3.  Same applies for Online Research, catalogue it and be able to quickly go back to  reinforce or gather more information.

 4. Do not be afraid of Archive Research, I have found it the most fun of all the research events I have done. 

 5.  Become aware of what inhabitants created the state your researching, makes a difference to what the library will have in it’s archives. 

Do you know what Cluster Research is?

Have you tried it?

We are now going to talk on Cluster Research, whether it be American or European.

 #1.    taking page before, page of and page after is one of my forms of Cluster Research.

          I use the term Cluster Research when I am gathering information, whether it be on a 
          census. Index to Will's book or other sources.

 #2.    I have several Index to Will Book's from various places.  Having gone the old way and ordering
          one document at a time, reading the Index Books gives enough names generally for you to know 
          you probably want to at least record, all the names of the Surname your researching that are 
          mentioned in the Index, take full information for ease of locating when later needing.

     
          This time saving method does more than save time. This information given, can cement families
           together that you were not even aware of. Bringing forth new leads and more information to
           resolve your need.

  #3.    This applies to Land Records, Tax Lists, most other written data.


    Story given by a wise speaker was, the children married into the neighbors, they traveled in groups
    whether it was large or small. The data we collect should be somewhat all encompassing to find the
    "needle(name)in the haystack" that is missing.