Getting Started in Genealogical Research

Genealogists should approach research at a specialized library collection with as much knowledge of research techniques and types of sources as possible. He or she should also be aware that special rules govern these materials. Please see policies and copy services.

Those researchers without previous knowledge or training in this type of investigation would find it helpful to consult such introductory manuals as the following:

Val D. Greenwood. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1990.)

The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Edited by Arlene Eakle and Johni Cerny. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing Co., 1984.)

Raymond S. Wright. The Genealogist's Handbook: Modern Methods for Researching Family History. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1995.)

Milton Rubincam. Pitfalls in Genealogical Research. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1987.)

Researchers with access to the World Wide Web will find their online research efforts aided greatly by consulting these guides:

Elizabeth Powell Crowe. Genealogy Online: Researching Your Roots. (New York: McGraw Hill, 1998.)

Thomas Jay Kemp. Virtual Roots: A Guide to Genealogy and Local History on the World Wide Web. (Wilmington, Del.: Scholarly Resources, 1997.)

West Virginia and Regional History Collection Home Page includes links to numerous web sites concerning West Virginia genealogy.

When conducting genealogical research into West Virginia historical resources, the following will provide essential information:

Carol McGinnis. West Virginia Genealogy: Sources & Resources. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988.)

Helen S. Stinson. A Handbook for Genealogical Research in West Virginia. (initial volume, 1981; three volumes, 1994.)

Rebecca H. Good and Rebecca A. Ebert. Finding Your People in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. 3rd edition. (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1993.) Includes four West Virginia counties.

Bertram H. Groene. Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor. 4th edition. (Winston-Salem, N.C.: John F. Blair, 1995.)

George K. Schweitzer. Civil War Genealogy: A Basic Research Guide for Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors. (Knoxville, TN: G.K. Schweitzer, 1980.)

The numerous guides and handbooks books which deal with specialized aspects of genealogical research can provide essential guidance to the novice researcher as well as the experienced family historian. The following are examples of those that are available:

Elizabeth Shown Mills. Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian. (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1997.)

Noel C. Stevenson. Genealogical Evidence: A Guide to the Standard of Proof Relating to Pedigrees, Ancestry, Heirship and Family History. Revised edition. (Laguna Hills, Calif.: Aegean Park Press, 1989.)

Ancestry's Concise Genealogical Dictionary. Compiled by Maurine and Glen Harris. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1989.)

Genealogical research almost inevitably extends to archives and research libraries beyond WVU. Included among the published guides to important sources of American records are:

United States. National Archives and Records Service. Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives. Revised. (Washington: National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1985.)

James C. Neagles. The Library of Congress: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1990.)

Christina K. Schaefer. The Center: A Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Capital Area. (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1996.)

James C. Neagles. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1994.)

The Handy Book for Genealogists: United States of America. 8th edition. (Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1991.)

Elizabeth Petty Bentley. County Courthouse Book. 2nd edition. (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1995.)

Genealogical researchers can find much helpful advice in the numerous specialized guides for researching ancestors of a particular national or ethnic background, such as Irish-Americans, Hispanic, Italian-Americans, Polish, African-Americans, English, Native-Americans, etc.