OneGreatFamily Blog

• Search for First and Last Names of Randy Johnson and No Other Names

  9/27/2013 1:56:00 AM

  The following article is a sample from Barry J. Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." He is the founder ofMyGenShare.com, an online educational website for genealogy and family history. 

  1. First and Last Names with "Genealogy." This search uses the primary person's first and last names and checks for the terms genealogy and ancestry, along with similar terms, in an attempt to focus on genealogy websites.

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  2.First and Last Names with Locations. If you are getting too many results, you might want to try adding the place of birth or death to the search. This might, however, cause you to overlook websites that have your ancestor information, but with no place of birth or death given. Nevertheless, this is a way to reduce the search results to a more manageable number. If you do not have too many results at this point, you can skip these searches.

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry Tennessee OR +TN

  Search for Johnson Websites
  
  1. This first search will look for websites related to the name Johnson when the name appears in the title of the website

  • allintitle: Johnson ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  2.This second search will look for websites related to the name Johnson when the name appears anywhere in the website. This is a much broader search than the one above. Use this search if you found few websites in the previous search. If you think the name you're searching is an uncommon name, you might have useful search results with the search below. On the other hand, if it is a common name, you will most likely have an overwhelming number of results. If that is the case, you are prob-ably better off searching on first and last names for the primary person along with the first and last names of the father, mother, and spouse.

  Johnson ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  
  

  Read more great genealogy tips in Barry Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History."
  

  Full story

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  Barry Ewell Article

• Genealogy: Setting up Advanced Google Searches

  9/27/2013 1:54:00 AM

  The following article is a sample from Barry J. Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." He is the founder of MyGenShare.com, an online educational website for genealogy and family history. 

  The following is a series of preformatted searches that offer new ways to research your family. Let's start with an example for a particular individual. His family information is listed here:
  
  Randy Johnson
  
  Father: Richard Johnson Mother: Amy Bradshaw Spouse: Sandy Green Place of birth: Nashville, Tennessee Place of death: Kansas City, Kansas
  
  The searches (below) are shown in the order that will often provide the best search results. Each of the searches checks for the terms genealogy and ancestry, along with similar terms, in an attempt to focus on genealogy websites. Also, each search will pick up websites that might use the common misspelling of genealogy: geneology.
  
  Search for Randy Johnson with Spouse's Names
  
  Often, searching for the spouse's names along with the primary person's names is the best way to look for an ancestor. This is because a spouse's name is more likely to be known than, for example, a mother's maiden name. So you are more likely to have good search results than with other searches.
  
  1.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the spouse's first and last name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Sandy Green" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  2.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the spouse's first name, middle name or initial, and last name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Sandy * Green" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  3.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the spouse's last name, followed by a comma and the spouse's first name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Green, Sandy" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  Search for Randy Johnson with Father's First and Last Names
  
  Searching with the parents' names could pick up websites that have information about siblings of your ancestor and their parents. This would be the case if someone had already researched a sibling's ancestry but was, for some reason, unaware of your ancestor. Searching for the father's names along with the primary person's names might be useful, because fathers' names are more likely to be recorded in older records than mothers' names. In turn then, fathers' names are more likely to be found on websites.
  
  1.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the father's first and last name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Richard Johnson" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  2.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the father's first name, middle name or initial, and last name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Richard Johnson" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  3.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the father's first name, middle name or initial, and last name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Richard * Johnson" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  Search for Randy Johnson with Mother's Names
  
  Searching for the mother's names along with the primary person's names is not the best possible search, but it might be worth a try if you are unable to find your ancestor by searching with other names.
  
  1.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the mother's first and last name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Amy Bradshaw" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  2.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the mother's first name, middle name or initial, and last name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Amy * Bradshaw" ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  3.This search uses the three name formats for Randy Johnson with the mother's last name, followed by a comma and the mother's first name:

  • "Randy Johnson" OR "Randy * Johnson" OR "Johnson, Randy" "Bradshaw, Amy " ~genealogy OR ~ancestry

  
  

  Read more great genealogy tips in Barry Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." 

  Full story

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  Barry Ewell Article

• Genealogy: Google Tips to Help You Navigate Genealogy Database Websites

  9/20/2013 1:52:00 AM

  The following article is a sample from Barry J. Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." He is the founder ofMyGenShare.com, an online educational website for genealogy and family history.

  
  

  Genealogy: Google Tips to Help You Navigate Genealogy Database Websites

  As you search the web, much of the data you seek will be gathered into websites like Ancestry.com and RootsWeb.com. These websites incorporate their own search engines to help you effectively explore their various database collections and assets. As you enter a website, our instinct is to type in the surname or individual you seek and hope you find a match. Take the time to find and review search query outlines that have been provided to help maximize their collections. Be aware that most websites have aspects of their organization and design that are unique to searching their collections and would not be effective in a Google search. The following are some tips to help you navigate searching websites that provide genealogical data:
  
  Review the contents of the databases. Throughout the Internet, you will find many websites that promote and offer data collections with the same category headings. If you were to compare the collections side by side, you would find portions of collections that are the same and others that are unique to that website. Sometimes you will find the website does not have any data but merely has a search engine that goes out to other websites and searches their databases.
  
  Whatever the case, it is important to take time to review what makes up the content of the database and where the sources come from so that you can better understand the value of the databases to you-especially if you are getting ready to order a subscription, such as with Ancestry.com. By looking around, you may be able to find exactly what you are looking for on a free site.
  
  Start broad and narrow your search. Whenever I start my search, I will usually start with a general, broad search. Based on what I receive in my search results, I will then use the search logic associated with the particular website search engine to narrow my search.
  
  Starting with a name. The search engine will first look for an exact name match, followed by common variants, misspellings, and nicknames. For example, a search for Bill Smith might return "William Smith," "Wm Smith," "Bill Smith," and "B. Smith."
  
  Filling in the blanks. When you are entering the data for your search, you must have at least the last name. The other fields can be blank. You don't have to fill in all the fields of your query.
  
  Be careful with abbreviations. Search engines find only exact matches. If you have used abbreviations, retype your search string using alternatives-for example, PA, then Penn, then Penn¬sylvania. Avoid abbreviations for descriptive terms (such as Sgt., Co., Reg't., Dr., or Jr.). Do not enter titles (like Dr., Earl, or Queen) or suffixes (3rd, III, or Jr.). Just search for the name without the title and then check the results for the ones you want.
  
  Use of quotation marks " ". Quotation marks are used in searches to denote that you are specifically looking for these words in this order. For example, you are looking for John Lee in Florida, then in your query you would enter John Lee Florida. Chances are, you would receive all the Johns in Lee County, Florida. By using quotations, you are able to make the search more targeted and avoid a lot of unwanted search results. The query now becomes "John Lee" Florida. The search will include results that include both John Lee and Florida.
  
  By using quotation marks, you tell the search engine that you want the words surrounded in quotations to be in exactly the order you have them.
  
  Advanced Search. Whenever possible, use the "advanced search" option. The more information you are able to enter in the search criteria, the better results you are likely to receive. For exam¬ple, by adding a date to your search you will help to narrow the scope. Even if you don't know the exact year, an educated guess in the "date" field will improve your results. The following are a few suggestions of how to improve the advance search:

  • Add a middle name, if you know of one
  • Add a birth or death year
  • Add a birth or death place

  Focus on specific databases. Every time a website like Ancestry.com adds a collection of data-be it records of Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Adams County Census, or a state's marriage records-the new information is being grouped with similar records. Sometimes the collections are kept as separate databases, and sometimes they are folded in with other data. In either case, you are given the opportunity to search within or among databases. After you complete your initial search, you may feel it prudent to narrow your search by focusing on one of these categories. Usually you can choose by clicking on a radio button or choosing from a dropdown box. The type of category groupings you will see include the following:

  • Ancestry Name Search
  • Census Records
  • Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
  • Social Security Death Index
  • Surname Indexes
  • Passenger and Immigration Records
  • Military Records
  • Directories and Members Lists
  • Family and Local Histories
  • Newspapers and Periodicals
  • Family and Local Histories
  • Photos and Maps

  Court, Land, and Probate Records
  

  
  

  Read more great genealogy tips in Barry Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." 
  

  Full story

  Comments (0)

  OneGreatFamily

  Barry Ewell Article

• Genealogy: Advanced Google Search Special Features

  9/13/2013 1:50:00 AM

  The following article is a sample from Barry J. Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." He is the founder ofMyGenShare.com, an online educational website for genealogy and family history.
  

  
  

  Within the advanced search option in genealogy websites, you will be presented with unique features that will help provide greater control in your search. The following are some of the options you might see:
  
  +/- Years. This feature allows you to control the time frame in years to search for an ancestor. For example, you have entered "John Jones" and you know that he died approximately in 1861. You can enter 1861 and then check the +/-years box in increments of 1, 2, 5, or 10 year spreads (the exact increments will vary between sites). If you choose 10 years, the search engine would look for "John Jones" from 1851 to 1871.
  
  Exact Matches Only. You will usually find this feature as a check box. By checking this box, you will only be presented with results that match your criteria exactly.
  
  Location. Some website search engines allow you to narrow your search within location options such as in FamilySearch .org. The location option allows you to focus on a region and narrow in depending upon your knowledge. For example, start with the geographical region, narrow to country, and narrow to state, county, and city.
  
  Soundex Search. It is rare to find a surname spelled the same way as we go back in historical records. Soundex becomes a good tool to search for names that sound like the one you are seeking. For example, by entering Smith and using the soundex option, you would receive results that included Smithe, Smyth, and Smythe.
  
  Wildcard search using the asterisk and the question mark. Many website search engines have incorporated the use of the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?) for queries. These wildcards are effective when you are searching for names with alternate spellings.
  
  Asterisk (*). Usually represents 0 to 6 characters. For example, john* could return "John," "Johnson," "Johnsen," "Johnathon," or "Johns."
  
  Anytime you use the asterisk, you must have at least three letters as part of your query. For example: Correct: Joh* Incorrect: Jo*
  
  Searches on www.AltaVista.com are different; this site considers an asterisk (*) to be a wildcard character, so cem- eter* yields cemetery and cemeteries.
  
  For genealogy searches, the asterisk (*) is one way to search for a name that has a middle name or initial. An example of one query using the asterisk is Ora * Jones. This search sting returns pages containing Ora Jones separated by one or more words: Ora W. Jones Ora W Jones Ora William Jones Ora; Murphy, Jones Ora Lee Jones Ora G. Jones
  
  It will not return results for Ora Jones with no middle name or initial.
  
  To search for web pages containing his name with a middle name or initial and his name with no middle name or initial, use this query: "Ora * Jones" OR "Ora Jones"
  
  Question mark (?). Represents looking for alternate spellings where one letter may make the difference. For example, a search for sm?th could return "Smith," "Smyth,", "Smoth," and "Smath."
  
  Your query cannot start with a question mark. For example:
  
  Correct: Sm?th Incorrect: ?Smith

  Read more great genealogy tips in Barry Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." 

  Full story

  
  

   

  
  

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  Barry Ewell Article

• Genealogy: Google Tips to Help You Navigate Genealogy Database Websites

  9/6/2013 1:17:00 AM

  The following article is a sample from Barry J. Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." He is the founder of MyGenShare.com, an online educational website for genealogy and family history. 

  As you search the web, much of the data you seek will be gathered into websites like Ancestry.com and RootsWeb.com. These websites incorporate their own search engines to help you effectively explore their various database collections and assets. As you enter a website, our instinct is to type in the surname or individual you seek and hope you find a match. Take the time to find and review search query outlines that have been provided to help maximize their collections. Be aware that most websites have aspects of their organization and design that are unique to searching their collections and would not be effective in a Google search. The following are some tips to help you navigate searching websites that provide genealogical data:
  
  Review the contents of the databases. Throughout the Internet, you will find many websites that promote and offer data collections with the same category headings. If you were to compare the collections side by side, you would find portions of collections that are the same and others that are unique to that website. Sometimes you will find the website does not have any data but merely has a search engine that goes out to other websites and searches their databases.
  
  Whatever the case, it is important to take time to review what makes up the content of the database and where the sources come from so that you can better understand the value of the databases to you-especially if you are getting ready to order a subscription, such as with Ancestry.com. By looking around, you may be able to find exactly what you are looking for on a free site.
  
  Start broad and narrow your search. Whenever I start my search, I will usually start with a general, broad search. Based on what I receive in my search results, I will then use the search logic associated with the particular website search engine to narrow my search.
  
  Starting with a name. The search engine will first look for an exact name match, followed by common variants, misspellings, and nicknames. For example, a search for Bill Smith might return "William Smith," "Wm Smith," "Bill Smith," and "B. Smith."
  
  Filling in the blanks. When you are entering the data for your search, you must have at least the last name. The other fields can be blank. You don't have to fill in all the fields of your query.
  
  Be careful with abbreviations. Search engines find only exact matches. If you have used abbreviations, retype your search string using alternatives-for example, PA, then Penn, then Penn¬sylvania. Avoid abbreviations for descriptive terms (such as Sgt., Co., Reg't., Dr., or Jr.). Do not enter titles (like Dr., Earl, or Queen) or suffixes (3rd, III, or Jr.). Just search for the name without the title and then check the results for the ones you want.
  
  Use of quotation marks " ". Quotation marks are used in searches to denote that you are specifically looking for these words in this order. For example, you are looking for John Lee in Florida, then in your query you would enter John Lee Florida. Chances are, you would receive all the Johns in Lee County, Florida. By using quotations, you are able to make the search more targeted and avoid a lot of unwanted search results. The query now becomes "John Lee" Florida. The search will include results that include both John Lee and Florida.
  
  By using quotation marks, you tell the search engine that you want the words surrounded in quotations to be in exactly the order you have them.
  
  Advanced Search. Whenever possible, use the "advanced search" option. The more information you are able to enter in the search criteria, the better results you are likely to receive. For exam¬ple, by adding a date to your search you will help to narrow the scope. Even if you don't know the exact year, an educated guess in the "date" field will improve your results. The following are a few suggestions of how to improve the advance search:

  • Add a middle name, if you know of one
  • Add a birth or death year
  • Add a birth or death place

  Focus on specific databases. Every time a website like Ancestry.com adds a collection of data-be it records of Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Adams County Census, or a state's marriage records-the new information is being grouped with similar records. Sometimes the collections are kept as separate databases, and sometimes they are folded in with other data. In either case, you are given the opportunity to search within or among databases. After you complete your initial search, you may feel it prudent to narrow your search by focusing on one of these categories. Usually you can choose by clicking on a radio button or choosing from a dropdown box. The type of category groupings you will see include the following:

  • Ancestry Name Search
  • Census Records
  • Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
  • Social Security Death Index
  • Surname Indexes
  • Passenger and Immigration Records
  • Military Records
  • Directories and Members Lists
  • Family and Local Histories
  • Newspapers and Periodicals
  • Family and Local Histories
  • Photos and Maps
  • Court, Land, and Probate Records

  Read more great genealogy tips in Barry Ewell's book "Family Treasures: 15 Lessons, Tips, and Tricks for Discovering your Family History." 

  Full story

  Comments (0)

  OneGreatFamily

  Barry Ewell Article

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