Women's History Month 2016: Tip #1 Have A Goal/Make A Plan

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What's your goal for your family history research? Actually, that's too broad of a question. Choose one female ancestor. What's your goal for researching her life?

I want to know her maiden name.

When was she born?

Where is she buried?

Great! Those are measurable, to the point, focused goals. It's easy to get overwhelmed when your goal is to trace your family back to 1600. But when you take one person, and start with small steps those small steps lead to a more complete picture of your ancestor's life.

So now you have a goal. What next? You need a genealogy research plan. That plan will help you focus on where to find your answer. One of my favorite examples of a research plan comes from Kimberly Powell on the About.com website. Think Like a Detective-How to Develop a Genealogy Research Plan provides you the steps to take and an example of a completed plan. Check it out, and then work on creating one for one of your female ancestors.