Record the Information Now that you have gathered family information, you are ready to record it. The first step is to learn to write the information in a way that is consistent with standard genealogical styles. The examples below show the standard genealogical styles for writing names, dates, and places. Genealogists use these styles because they prevent confusion. The full name is given, starting with the first name.
Many genealogists record the surname in capital letters to avoid confusion with first names.
If part of the name is not known, leave a blank or draw a line where the unknown part should go. If an entire name is not known, leave the space blank or draw a line. If part or all of the date is not known, draw a line where the information should go. However, knowing the county where an event took place can be very important when trying to obtain Connecticut census information or documentation from other states and countries. It is important to remember that boundaries for governmental units may have changed with the years.