1: Get Organized
2: Learn the Basics
3: Form a Strategy
4: Search Ancestry Records (AN)
5: Search Collections (AN)
6: Analyze Search Results (AN)
7: Develop Search Skills
8: Solve Problems
9: Family History Trip
10: Descendants
11: Reading Handwriting
Translation Tips
Music
Project 4: Research
Goal 10: Descendant Research
Goal 10: Learn how to do descendant research. Vault
Descendancy research can be an efficient way to find descendants of ancestors (such as distant cousins). For a detailed look at how cousin relationships work, see "Are Your Cousins Removed?" Remember that FamilySearch does not display information for living people, beyond your immediate family.
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Choices
A Learn the basics of descendancy research.
- Learn about the "why's" of descendancy research in this article.
FS—Finding the Past in the Present - Learn about easy steps for descendancy research.
FS—Easy Steps Handout - Get an overview of descendant research.
AAC—Descendant Research—3:34
PR—Descendant Research
- Learn the basic approaches for descendancy research.
BYU—Strategies for Finding an Ancestor Through Descendancy Research—18:14 - 2016
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Exercise
- * Proficient: Write down 5 key learnings about descendancy research from the article and videos in this Choice.
B Learn more about descendancy research.
- Find additional information on descendancy research here:
FS—9 Ingredients for Descendancy View - 2015
AC—Descendancy Research—30:23
- For a more detailed look at descendancy research, watch these videos.
RT—Beginning Descendancy Research—53:40 - 2017
FS—Descendancy Research—62:10 - Learn how to break through research brick walls using descendancy research.
FHF—Using Descendancy Research for Clues to Bust a Genealogy Brick Wall Research—13:23 - 2020
RT—Tracing Descendants: An Essential Strategy to Solve Your Brickwall—21:28 - 2022
- * Proficient: Select three ancestors. Explore a descendant line in Landscape view for the first; in Portrait view for the second; and in Fan Chart view for the third.
C Use collateral and cousin research to solve problems.
- Learn about collateral research, for those who are not your direct ancestors.
AAC—Collateral Genealogy Research—3:15 - Watch this video to learn more about sibling research.
RT—Unlocking Answers through Sibling Research—18:22 - 2022
- Learn about researching cousins in your family lines.
FS—Cousin Research
RIV—Finding Your Cousins - 2018