Verhagen advises those who want to begin a genealogical search to start with what they know, listing parents' and grandparents' birth and death dates. The Internet has become a valuable tool in genealogy. Web sites abound dedicated to one or two family names. The average Web site has about 1,000 names, but some claim databases of more than one billion records. Verhagen has discovered 10,000 names in his family search.
Experienced genealogists offer the following tips to beginners.
Always record the source of information for data that is photocopied or taken from any publication. Always back up information stored on computer disks and photocopy irreplaceable documents. Older records may show inconsistencies or misspellings of surnames because illiteracy was more prevalent. Geographical boundaries and location names may change over time. For example, the boundaries of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania have changed four times since it was colonized.