When I think about tools for a new genealogist, I start with a simple question: will this help you find information, keep it organized, or check whether it is reliable? A long list of websites and products can make beginning family history research seem more complicated than it needs to be.
You do not need to buy everything before you begin. Start with what you know about your family, a way to keep notes, and access to a few useful records. The tools below can support your research as new questions come up.
1. A Place to Build Your Family Tree
Start with yourself, then add your parents and grandparents. A paper ancestral chart and a family group sheet can help you record names, dates, places, and relationships. You can begin with these simple forms before choosing a software program.
If you prefer working digitally, compare programs such as Family Tree Maker and Legacy Family Tree. An online tree is another option. Look for a system that lets you attach records, enter source notes, mark uncertain information, and export your tree. Choose something you can use comfortably. You do not need every feature on the first day.
2. Online Records and Archive Catalogs
Online genealogy resources help you locate census entries, birth and death records, marriage records, military files, and other documents. FamilySearch offers free access to many records, although some images have viewing restrictions. Ancestry, Findmypast, and MyHeritage are other places to explore collections. Access and subscription requirements vary.
Before paying for a subscription, check whether the site has records for the places and years you need. Your library may also offer access to research collections. Read the collection description and view the original record image when available. A search result or another person’s tree is a clue to investigate, rather than proof by itself.
3. DNA Testing, When It Answers a Question
DNA testing can help you identify genetic relatives and explore a possible family connection. It is an optional tool, rather than a requirement for beginning genealogy. Start with family information and records, then consider whether a test could help answer a specific question.
A DNA match does not automatically identify the ancestor you share. Compare trees, dates, places, and documented relationships before drawing a conclusion. Ethnicity estimates are broad estimates and can change. Before choosing a test, read the company’s current information about matching, privacy, and how results can be used.
4. Census Records
Census records can place a person in a household at a particular time. Depending on the census, you may find ages, occupations, birthplaces, family relationships, and other details. Follow a family through several census years to look for changes and possible connections.
The National Archives census research guide is a useful starting point for United States research. Census collections are also available through genealogy websites. Check the full page and nearby households, and compare entries with other records. Names, ages, and birthplaces may be recorded incorrectly.
5. Historical Newspapers
Newspapers may contain obituaries, marriage announcements, birth notices, and reports of everyday events. They can also help you understand the community where an ancestor lived. Search spelling variations, initials, relatives’ names, and place names as well as the ancestor’s full name.
Explore Chronicling America at the Library of Congress, local library collections, Newspapers.com, and GenealogyBank. Coverage varies by newspaper and date. If a name search finds nothing, browse issues around a known event. Save the newspaper title, publication date, page number, and clipping with your notes.
6. Cemetery Records and Gravestone Photographs
Find a Grave and BillionGraves can help you locate burial information and photographs. A cemetery name, burial location, or nearby family marker may point you toward additional research.
Compare a memorial’s written information with the photograph and other records. A transcription, contributor’s family connection, or date on a stone can contain an error. Cemetery offices, burial registers, death records, and obituaries may help you check the details. Record the cemetery and location so you can find the marker again.
7. Libraries, Archives, and Historical Societies
Some useful family history resources are still held locally. Libraries, archives, courthouses, and historical societies may have local histories, directories, family files, maps, and records that do not appear in a general online search.
Use WorldCat to look for library holdings and Google Books to explore digitized books. Contact the institution before visiting. Explain the person, place, and time period you are researching, and ask about access, copying, and appointment requirements. A clear question makes it easier for staff to help.
8. A Research Log and a Backup Routine
Of all the tools for a new genealogist, a research log is one of the simplest to begin using. A notebook, spreadsheet, or note-taking app can work. Record your question, the date, the source you searched, what you found, and what you plan to check next. Include searches that produced no useful result.
Keep source details with each discovery and use consistent file names for saved documents. For example, include the person’s name, record type, and year. Keep a second copy of important digital files in a separate location. An online family tree should not be your only copy of your research.
9. People Who Can Help
Relatives, librarians, genealogy societies, and research communities can help you identify records or understand an unfamiliar place. Groups focused on a county, surname, or record type may be especially useful. RootsChat is one example of an online genealogy community.
When asking a question, explain what you know, which sources you have checked, and the problem you are trying to solve. Treat suggestions as leads to verify. Avoid sharing private information about living relatives in public discussions. You can also use the Ancestral Findings Genealogy Q&A page to ask a research question.
10. Research Guides and Reference Books
Choose a guide that addresses the task in front of you. You might need help understanding a record, documenting a source, or interpreting a DNA match. Borrowing a book from a library can be a useful first step before deciding to buy a copy.
The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger addresses genetic genealogy. Genealogy Standards by the Board for Certification of Genealogists explains research standards. Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills provides guidance for citing historical sources. These are references to consult as your questions develop, rather than a shopping list you must complete before starting.
Start Small and Add Tools as You Need Them
I would rather see a beginner answer one question carefully than collect a dozen tools without a plan. Choose one ancestor, gather what you already know, and decide what record could help you take the next step. A useful tool should serve that question. As your research grows, you can add resources that fit the work you are doing.
Learn More
9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start Researching Your Family Tree
Prepare your first research questions and organize what you already know.
Charts and Forms for Genealogy, and How to Use Them
Use ancestral charts and family group sheets to record family relationships.
Genealogy Notes: Why You Need Them and How to Take Them the Right Way
Keep a record of your searches, discoveries, and next steps.
Why Citing Sources is Crucial in Genealogy and How to Do it Right
Document the sources behind the information in your family tree.
