Ways to Save Time In Your Genealogy Research

1. Search Large Databases for Your Ancestor

Searching large databases online for your ancestor's name can help you to find information more quickly.
Below are some excellent database sites. Note: Some sites may require a subscription to see the full records.

• World Vital Records Almost 4 billion names found in thousands of genealogical records of many types
• Family Search Free access to millions of census, birth, marriage, death, vital, military, christening, burial, and other records
• Ancestry.com Billions of names in thousands of genealogical records of many types
• Archives.com Over 1 billion birth, marriage, death, vital, divorce, and other records
• US Gen Web Archives Free cemetery, census, military, and other records
• BYU Family History Archives Free digital family histories and other historical books
• Find a Grave 42 million names gathered from cemeteries throughout the world
• Interment Free cemetery records
• Footnote.com Military records, newspapers, city directories, naturalization records, and other records
• Newspaper Archive Over 5,300 newspapers
• Genealogy Bank Thousands of newspapers, obituaries, and historical documents
• E-Yearbook.com Thousands of school and Navy yearbooks
• Genealogy Today Church, school, military, historical, and other miscellaneous genealogical records
• RootsWeb Various free genealogical records
• Social Security Death Index Death index from 1935 and later in the U.S.
• Distant Cousin City directories, alumni lists, and military records
• Google Doing a search on Google for your ancestor's name may help you find results on smaller websites that you may not otherwise find


• American Ancestors by the New England Historic Genealogical Society
• Dunham Wilcox New England genealogical records
• Ray's Place for New England Genealogy

2. Collaborate with Others Working on Your Family Lines

Finding the genealogy that others have done on your family lines can save time and effort.

• OneGreatFamily 180 million names submitted in family trees
• Ancestry Public Member Trees Millions of names submitted in family trees
• Family Search Trees Millions of names submitted in family trees
• Ancestry Message Boards Queries posted by individuals looking for information for specific surnames or locations

3. Use Expertise of Others Familiar With Your Area of Research

Using the expertise of others that are already familiar with the records and localities you are researching can save you time.
Some excellent sites to find detailed articles on genealogical topics:

• Family Search Wiki Almost 60,000 free articles on genealogical topics and researching in specific locations and in specific record types
• Family Search Research Courses Free online courses for many genealogical topics