Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. Third Edition

Since its first edition in 1972, and especially with the completely revised and greatly expanded 2nd edition in 1990, this comprehensive work has become the standard guide and textbook in the pursuit of U.S. genealogical research. Beginning with the background to research -- what "research" actually means, specialized terminology, basic principles, library fundamentals, and all the rest -- Greenwood teaches you, with great clarity and many examples, how to identify what information you need, how to go about locating it, and how to organize it once you've found it. The second, much larger part of the book, leads the reader through the use, analysis, and interpretation of all the major sorts of documents and records out there: Compiled sources (including a discussion of the nature of compilations), vital records, census returns, wills and probate records (and how to become comfortable with legal terminology), local and federal land records, civil and criminal court records, church records, records relating to immigration, military records, and cemetery and burial records. He discusses the nature of abstracting, clears up common misconceptions about court records, points out the limitations of the census, and presents a largely rewritten discussion of the standards of evidence. When the 2nd edition came out a decade ago, the author thought his book would probably never need another major revision, just minor updates. But that was before the personal computer and Internet revolutions forced him to rethink his position, and this edition includes an entirely new and rather lengthy chapter on the appropriate use of the computer in genealogical research and also on its built-in limitations. He also took the opportunity to add a chapter on the legal issues relating to women's property rights, and (of course) made all those minor corrections and updates he had expected. Bluntly, if you can afford only one how-to book for your home genealogy shelf, get this one.

An excellent reference recommended for libraries building basic collections on genealogy. Val Greenwood's Researcher's Guide To American Genealogy, 3rd Edition provides important updated links between computers and genealogical research, including chapters on property rights of women, new insights on the evaluation of genealogical evidence, and updated information on the 1020 census.

Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, Val Greenwood's The Researcher's Guide To American Genealogy continues to be the definitive introduction and guide to conducting genealogical research in the United States. It is both a textbook and an all-purpose reference book that is the core title for any personal, professional, and community library genealogical reference collection. Clear, comprehensive, up-to-date, "reader friendly", The Researcher's Guide To American Genealogy provides an essential, highly recommended account of the methods and aims of American genealogy today and will prove ideal for the novice genealogist in conducting a sound genealogical project.

This book moved me to really begin studying my family history in depth. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy explains where to begin to look for your roots, and what these sources reveal about your ancestors. It also prepares you on how to keep the data you've gathered organized. A must for the beginner and the experienced alike

I have used this book for the past 6 years while discovering my roots. It provides guidance when you think you have hit a brick wall. The references included are accurate and useful to any family historian. Greenwood hits the mark while many others try to imitate his style.