Root and Branches by Josie Vaughn

Research Outlines

Question: I recently attended a genealogy seminar and someone mentioned Research Outlines.  What are these and where can I get one?

Answer:  These are guides put out by The Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  The Family History Centers carry most of them or they are all available on a CD that may be ordered out of Salt Lake City.  There is one for every state and most countries, a general one for the United States. (See Research Helps Sorted by Document Type to download or order the guides.)

For example the research outline for Pennsylvania has the following subjects:

• FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY CATALOG that explains how to search for the various records on the catalog at familysearch.org; 

• ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES, tells where the archives, libraries and societies have major collections including the addresses of these facilities; 

• BIBLE RECORDS, where collections are held and what films the records are on that may be ordered; 

• BIOGRAPHY, where collections of published biographies are located; 

• CEMETERIES, how to locate the cemetery records; 

• CENSUS, what years are available and how to locate them; 

• CHURCH RECORDS, lists the various denominations of churches and the repositories for them, and addresses to write to; 

• COURT RECORDS,  time periods they cover and the types of courts and how to locate them; 

• DIRECTORIES, shows years, cities available and the film numbers they are on; 

• EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION, a little history of the early settlers and the various immigration lists and where available; 

• GAZETTEERS; 

• GENEALOGY COLLECTIONS; 

• LAND AND PROPERTY; 

• MAPS; 

• MILITARY RECORDS; 

• NATURALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP; 

• NEWSPAPERS; 

• PERIODICALS; 

• PROBATE RECORDS; 

• TAXATION; 

• VITAL RECORDS.  

Space is limited here, but the guides provide a huge amount of information for a $1.00 investment for each state.  These research outlines are a major resource in locating records.

Mark your calendar for August 23, 2003 the NEVADA COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY SEMINAR. More news on the “Calendar” page.

Reprinted with permission from The Union, April 2003. Josie Plescia Vaughn writes "Roots and Branches", a monthly column discussing subjects of genealogical interest in the Grass Valley-Nevada City California Union.

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