Union County Genealogical Society

If you’re new to genealogy, or even if you’ve been researching for a while, you’ve probably had at least one moment where you thought, “Wait… did I do that right?” The truth is, most family historians make the same handful of mistakes when they start (and even when it’s been a while…) And that’s normal! We are not striving for perfection; we are learning how to build your tree in a way that stays strong as you grow it. Here are some of the biggest mistakes we make, from beginners all the way to seasoned genealogists:

Jumping to the Most Exciting Record First

It’s tempting to chase military records, immigration stories, or famous relatives right away.

Try this instead:

Start with records that build a timeline first, like census and vital records. Once you know where someone lived and when, the “exciting” records become much easier to confirm and connect.

Assuming Every Record Is About Your Ancestor

Just because a record has the right name doesn’t mean it’s the right person.

Try this instead:

Always compare at least three details: location, age, and family members. If two out of three don’t match, slow down before adding it to your tree.

Skipping Source Tracking

It feels faster to just add information and move on.

Try this instead:

Save where you found every fact. Future-you will be extremely grateful. (Future-you will also absolutely forget where you found that perfect record.)

Researching in Isolation

Genealogy isn’t just about individuals; it’s about families and communities.

Try this instead:

Research neighbors, witnesses, and extended family. People rarely lived life completely alone.

Thinking You Have to Know Everything Before You Start

Perfectionism stops more family historians than missing records ever will.

Try this instead:

Start with what you know. Document it. Then build outward, one record at a time.

If you’re worried you might have made one of these mistakes already, that’s okay. Every genealogist has. The goal is to learn how to evaluate evidence as you go.

January 23, 2026

By: Saundra Leininger

Things You Can Do When Short on Time

I want to share with you the following ideas to help you with your research when you are short on time by Amy Johnson Crow

Five Things You Can Do in Genealogy When You’re Short on Time

“What family history tasks could a busy person do if they have irregular 15-minute time chunks?” Devon Noel Lee of A Patient Genealogist recently asked me that great question. As much as all of us would love to spend uninterrupted days on end exploring our family history, reality is much closer to “I have 15 minutes before my next appointment. What can I do now?” Here are 5 things you can do to be productive.

1. Scan and Label Photographs

No, you’re not going to scan and label all of your photographs in this time. But those that you do in that 15 minutes are more than you had done before! (Check out my post on how to label as you scan.)

2. Transcribe a Document

Transcribing a document is a great way to get more out of your research. You’ll pick up clues that go unnoticed when you’re just scanning “for the good stuff.” Even if you don’t get all the way through it in 15 minutes or you get stuck on a few words, it’s often enough time for a good first pass through.

3. Record a Memory

We get so focused on the past that we sometimes forget that we are our family history. Our stories and memories count every bit as much as the one’s we’re trying to save of our ancestors. (Stuck trying to think of a topic? FamilySearch has a list of 58 questions to get you started.)

4. Do a Census Search

I bet there is someone in your family tree right now who you don’t have all of their census records. Go find some. (This works best if you have a current to-do list, so that you can keep track of what you’ve searched for and what you haven’t.)

5. Add to Your To-Do List

This seems counter-productive, but it actually helps in the long run. Having a good to-do list –whether you keep in on paper, in your genealogy software, a spreadsheet, or Evernote — helps keep our thoughts and our efforts organized.

Brainstorm about a genealogy problem you have and the resources you want to explore. Once you have a list, you can use that as starting point when you have a spare 15 minutes to work in. (“Hmmm, I need to explore land records for great-great-grandpa.” Then you can spend your 15 minutes looking on FamilySearch to see if they are online or on microfilm, and preparing for when you have a longer stretch of time to actually use the records.) It’s all in the preparation.