Essential Research Methods – Helen Osborn

This is Helen Osborn’s first book about genealogy.

This book is the ideal companion for anybody researching their family tree. It provides advice and inspiration on methods and problem-solving and helps the amateur family historian, including Guild members, understand what successful professionals do to get results, and why we should copy them.

Over ten chapters, it examines the various themes that affect the success or failure of all genealogy research.

This begins with an overview of common challenges genealogists encounter and continues with an examination of how to both search effectively and find the right documentary sources. Using examples from her own family history as well as client work, teacher and professional genealogist Helen Osborn demonstrates how to get the most from documents, analyse problems and build research plans. These subjects lead on to recording results, how to ensure relationships are correctly proved, organising information and presenting your findings.

Although the book deals mainly with research in England and Wales, the skills taught are easily transferable to research in other countries. This book will be particularly valuable to anyone who is stuck with their research, in addition to those who are keen to learn about advanced skills and methods used by genealogists. Helen says, “Genealogy is great fun, but it can be frustrating when you get stuck and don’t know where to look for advice.

Every single one of us doing family history research for any length of time will fail to find an ancestor at some point or encounter a problem with identifying the correct ancestor. I am so pleased to begin to address the problems that genealogy throws at us, by producing the sort of book I wish I could have had on my bookshelf years ago. It comes not only from my own personal family history experiences, but also after having talked to hundreds of other genealogists about their problems, be they clients, my students, or other professionals. “Over time I have come to realise that problem solving and building up proof cases where identity is obscure or problematical is a whole lot more complex, pernickety and downright difficult than you might at first appreciate. Not only that, but there is very little information in print for the British genealogist about the best way to go about it. “There is very little information for the intermediate or more advanced genealogist who wants and needs advice on method.

The internet has been a huge boon to family historians, but not everything you need is online and there is still no substitute for painstaking and detailed study into a family or community using original documents, analytical skills and documentation techniques. In short, there has been a lack of help for the genealogist who wants to advance their skills, rather than just find out about another set of possible websites to search within. I really hope that this book is going to start to plug that gap.”