The Landscape of Online Genealogy Databases
Over the past two decades, genealogy research has been transformed by the digitisation of historical records. Billions of documents — census records, birth and death registrations, immigration lists, military files, church registers — are now searchable online. The challenge for researchers is no longer finding records in principle; it is knowing how to search effectively and critically evaluate what they find.
Subscription Services vs. Free Resources
The major subscription platforms each have different strengths and record collections:
- Ancestry: The largest single collection of genealogical records globally, strong for US, UK, Irish, Canadian, and Australian records. Requires a subscription for most records, though many public libraries offer free access.
- Findmypast: Particularly strong for British and Irish records, including many newspaper archives and unique parish collections.
- MyHeritage: Good European record coverage and strong photo enhancement and comparison tools.
- FamilySearch: Completely free and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Holds an enormous global collection and is an excellent first stop for any researcher.
- Fold3: Specialises in US military records and is especially useful for researchers with American ancestors who served in the armed forces.
Search Strategies That Work
Start with What You Know
Always begin with your most recent known ancestors and work backwards in time, generation by generation. Jumping too far back without solid documentation leads to speculative connections and errors that are hard to undo later.
Use Wildcard and Phonetic Searches
Surnames were frequently misspelled, anglicised, or changed at borders. Most major databases offer wildcard searches (using * or ? to represent missing letters) and soundalike or phonetic search options. A search for "O'Bri*n" will return O'Brien, O'Brian, O'Brion, and similar variants. Always try multiple spellings.
Search for Family Members, Not Just Your Direct Ancestor
If you cannot find a specific ancestor, search for their siblings, parents, or neighbours. Relatives often appear in records together — particularly in census entries, immigration passenger lists, and church registers.
Read the Original Document, Not Just the Index
Indexes are created by human transcribers who occasionally make errors. Always click through to view the original image of a document. You may find information that was missed or incorrectly transcribed in the index, and the original record will show you what neighbouring entries say, which can itself be informative.
Evaluating What You Find
Not all records are equally reliable. Apply these questions to every source you locate:
- Who created this record? A record created by the subject themselves (such as a declaration) differs from one recorded by a third party (such as a census enumerator).
- When was it created? A birth certificate recorded at the time of birth is more reliable than an age listed on a death certificate decades later.
- Is this an original or a copy? Transcribed records and indexes introduce potential errors. Original documents carry more weight.
- Does this information agree with other evidence? Contradictions between sources need to be explained, not ignored.
Keeping Your Research Organised
As your research grows, organisation becomes critical. Maintain a research log that records every source you have searched — including searches that returned no results. This prevents you from duplicating effort and helps you see gaps in your evidence. Save copies of every original document you find, and cite your sources using a consistent format so you can always trace your conclusions back to their evidence.
Getting Past Brick Walls
When a standard search fails, try lateral approaches: land records, probate files, and local histories often name individuals who do not appear in mainstream genealogical records. Newspaper digitisation projects are revealing vast new archives. And collaborating with other researchers — particularly through one-name studies and local genealogical societies — can unlock information no database search alone will find.