Posting a Productive Genealogy Query
Have you ever posted a genealogical query on a well-known mailing list or message board, only to watch it never receive a reply? Posting to message boards, mailing lists, and newsgroups is a great way to connect with other researchers with similar interests, to seek information on an ancestor or locale, or to locate long lost cousins. Getting results requires more than just a quick post of brief information.
It takes a ‘well thought out’ query to get good results; in other words, a post with quality information, will most likely produce quality results; lack of information will not. Below are some valuable guidelines or tips for writing an effective query that will in increase your chances for success.
Familiarize yourself with available forums and make sure that you post your query, to the most relevant board or list possible. You will not find expert advice on Irish towns or culture on a list for Illinois, just because your Irish ancestors immigrated to Chicago, or because you happen to already subscribe to that list.
Always make sure your message is pertinent to the discussion on a list or board, because that is where you will find the experts and lookup volunteers who have access, to the resources for your area of interest. There are forums for just about any genealogical question that you may have. For instance, thousands of message boards are hosted at many genealogy websites, on a variety of topics. There are boards for geographic locations, specific ancestor lists, surname lists category lists, and specialty topics, such as emigration routes, naturalization records, Civil War, or Scotch-Irish immigrants, etc.
If a message board does not currently exist, for your research topic, it is very easy to start one; for most sites, you need only go to the appropriate section, i.e. surname, topic, or country/state, and click “Request a Forum.”
Make sure that the subject line is concise and specific—referencing the content of your query. Subject headings i.e. “Seeking Ancestor” or “Need genealogy help” will, likely, produce poor, or no results. Valuable information to include in a subject line is name, date or time frame, and location. An acceptable format might be: STEVENS, Roger (Civil War Captain) born in Washington County, Kentucky, about 1838. Place this information, again, near the beginning of your query, adding any other identifying information, which might aid in a search.
Use all CAPS on surnames only, unless the forum you use requests otherwise. A name posted as Harbison Bones may leave the reader guessing, what is the surname…Harbison or Bones? All other words should be in lower case, capitalizing only the first letter in proper names or places. List alternate spelling(s) of a surname. Another researcher may not know the person by the spelling that you believe to be correct. Example: Garrard, Gerrard, or Garard.
To eliminate the possibility of misinterpretation and linking an ancestor to the wrong family, do not use abbreviations. They can be highly confusing for inexperienced researchers, or forum members from other parts of the world, that are not familiar with abbreviations that you may use, including your specific not or citation style. For example, Bone Tho… abt 1754 IRL>NYC>Shelby b. bld is NOT an acceptable format.
Is Bone the surname?...or is Tho…the first three letters of an incomplete surname? What happened about 1754…his birth, death, or the beginning of his migration? Does IRL stand for In Route to Louisiana, or is it meant to be an abbreviation for Ireland? If IRL stands for Ireland, then what country is represented by NYC? Shelby could be Shelby County, Tennessee…or Shelby County, Indiana…or is it, possibly, the city Shelby? The letter “b.” before the date could mean baptism, birth, or blessed, but what is the meaning of “bld?” Be specific and spell words out fully!!
Type dates in a genealogical and globally accepted format, like 20 May 1853. Recording a date as 10/2/03 does not tell the reader, if a person was born on the 10th of February or the 2nd of October; with a year typed as “03,” will the reader know if you mean 1603, 1803, or maybe 2003?
Don’t be afraid to be creative and make your query stand out, to those who may have the information that you seek. A good example: Christian Null, born 1770 in Rockingham County, Virginia; drowned in the Ohio River, 1832.
Even in your first paragraph…be brief. The cyber world is a busy place and others may not have the time to read a lengthy query. The first paragraph should contain the “Who, What, Where, and When” of your request. After you have the attention of your targeted audience, you can add pertinent details.
Keep your query limited to one request. For example, do not ask a lookup person, for everything they have on the BONE surname, in the area. Asking for too much information at one time, may leave others feeling overwhelmed, thus decrease your chances for a response.
If you have more than one inquiry, post another query; by doing so, you will, also, eliminate any confusion of “whom” or “what” you are referencing.
Be considerate of other people’s time…and your own. If you have already searched specific records, regarding the information that you are seeking, include those source titles in your query, so people responding to your query do not search the same sources, only to provide you with information that you already have.
To eliminate unnecessary posting, search all possible online resources, prior to posting. For instance, if you are hoping to acquire an approximate age for an ancestor from a census record, do not stop with one census record. Look at a number of them for the individual(s) in question and compare data. Likewise, if you are looking for a specific geographic location, i.e. the town where an ancestor lived, or the proximity of one county to another, search some online maps, instead of, foolishly, posting a query asking if anyone knows if Johnson County, Kentucky is next to Elliott County. Hint: search engines are a great source for locating maps and census records.
If you are asking for a lookup, provide a specific source that you would like someone to check. Include what you know about your ancestor, i.e. his name, age, when and where he lived, his physical characteristics, or the names of other family members. Even small pieces of information can prove valuable, in verifying a name, date, or place.
Be open-minded about your ancestor’s nationality and the spelling of their name. Family lore may tell you that your BONE ancestors were English, but they may have been Scotch-Irish, and someone may point you to matching BONES in Scotland. Consider the possibility that the lookup volunteer may have broken down a “brick wall” for you; don’t be hardheaded when it comes to considering any and all suggested options.
Clearly state what information you hope to learn. For example, if you want to learn your ancestor’s parents’ names, state that. If you are looking for a military record, provide what related information that you can, i.e. the name of the war or possible locale. It is difficult for someone to provide an answer, if they do not clearly understand the question.
Be kind and polite in your query. Emotions are difficult to express and have interpreted correctly online. Do not write your query in all “caps”…it is the equivalent of shouting. Also, all caps are difficult to read.
Do not “flame” others by being authoritative, narrow-minded, or biased, with a conviction that your is the only valid opinion, which leads to a personal attack on anyone who differs or disagrees with your stand, on a particular issue. Be aware that the term “flaming” is sometimes used in reference to long, intensive, and heated discussions on mailing lists, discussion boards or queries, too. Avoid these!!
Consider the rights of others, as defined by the Rights of Privacy Act and do not reference living persons, without their permission. You have an obligation to respect others people’s privacy, and will likely, want to strive to keep yourself and your family safe from fraudulent or misuse of posted information, too.
If sending your query by e-mail, do not send it as an attachment. Many viruses are transmitted as attachments, so most people, wisely, refrain from opening an e-mail attachment from people that they do not know.
Always post to a mailing list, in a standard .txt format…not HTML. Those to whom you are sending may not have the capability to read HTML coded messages; you want your message to be received and read, by as many people as possible.
Before finalizing, carefully review the rough draft of your board or list post, and try to put yourself in the position of the reader on the receiving end – someone who knows nothing about the ancestor that you are describing. Make sure that the data and query would be understood by a “perfect stranger,” because one of them just might turn out to hold the answer to your query or possess a publication, from which they could find the answer for you.
Before sending, carefully proofread, for errors and details. Correct all “typos,” check to see that all words are, fully, spelled out, dates are in an understandable format, and that you revise any unclear statements. Determine if you included all of the pertinent information about your ancestor by answering the “Who, What, Where, and When” questions? Are there any other details that you might add to help others identify with your ancestor?
When signing your query, make sure that you include your name and e-mail address. Without an e-mail address, the recipient will have no way to reply to your post.
Share your sources. If you find data that may be helpful to other researchers, be sure to share the source, by posting the information to an appropriate mailing list, message board, or newsgroup, so that others may benefit, from the information, too. As you help others, you will find that they are more eager to help you.
Keep a log of your posted queries. Include in the log: the date, information requested, where posted, name and e-mail of the person who replied, and the results of your query, even if it was not the information that you were seeking, or you received no answer to your post. This will provide you with a “paper trail,” of your research queries, and prevent unnecessary duplicate queries.
By following these simple guidelines—and using common sense—you can reap great rewards from a query. It is a good way to make new friends, find relatives, and produce valuable genealogical information.
