✅ The Research Checklist That Keeps Me Focused

Inspired by "My Best Genealogy Tips: Quick Keys to Research Ancestry Book 2"

Jun 10, 2025

Hi GenFriends!

One of the most common challenges I hear from fellow researchers is this: “I feel like I’m going in circles.”

If that’s you—you’re not alone. When you’re deep into a family line or chasing an elusive ancestor, it’s easy to get sidetracked, repeat searches, or forget which records you’ve already checked.

That’s why I always recommend keeping a simple Genealogy Research Checklist. It helps you focus on the goal, track your progress, and take intentional next steps. It’s a habit that makes research feel purposeful rather than overwhelming.

And the good news is: you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Today I’m sharing this checklist with you here.

“Successful research is rarely about luck—it’s about method. Knowing where to look and how to track your findings is half the battle.”
——— Robin R. Foster

🗂️ Genealogy Research Checklist

Use this list to stay focused as you research a person, event, or family line:

✅ Step 1: Set Your Objective

What do I want to find?
Who is the person I’m researching?
What time period or place am I focusing on?

✅ Step 2: Gather What You Already Know

Names, birthdates, locations, relationships
Sources you’ve already used
Family stories or traditions

✅ Step 3: Search Key Record Types

Census records (start with the most recent and work backward)
Vital records: birth, marriage, death
Church records: baptisms, membership, burial
Land and property records
Probate or wills
City directories and local histories
Military records
Newspapers and obituaries

✅ Step 4: Evaluate Each Source

What information did it provide?
Was the source original or indexed?
Was the information firsthand or secondhand?

✅ Step 5: Track What You Searched

Record the name of the database or book
Note the date of your search
List any spelling variations you used
Mark whether the result was a “hit” or “miss”

✅ Step 6: Write Down Your Next Step

What do I need to check next?
What new question has come up?
Do I need to visit a library, archive, or courthouse?

📥 Download the Printable Checklist

You can download the full two-page version here to keep by your side while you research:

🧭 A Starting Place, Not the Finish Line

This checklist helps you remember the most common places to begin when researching a person—sources like censuses, church records, and local directories that are foundational in almost every search.

But it’s just that: a beginning.

There are many other resources—oral histories, manuscript collections, naturalization, Freedmen’s Bureau records, land entry files, and more—that can offer even deeper insight into your ancestors’ lives. We’ll explore those together in future posts, one record type at a time.

For now, keep this checklist nearby. Let it guide your steps and keep you focused. And when you’re ready to dig deeper, I’ll be right here to guide you.

Please share this Genealogy Research Checklist with anyone that would be interested! If you thought this lesson was useful, drop a like down below so I know you are looking for more of my advice.

Warmly,
Robin
Your GenFriend & Author

My Best Genealogy Tips: Quick Keys to Research Ancestry Book 2