As you work on your genealogy be sure to work on branches and items in logical groups. Do not scatter your efforts too much or you risk becoming confused, muddled and inaccurate.
I find that my best and most productive work comes when I work in a single or focused area of my family either by picking a ‘branch’ or following a group or family history theme. Working in this manner I find I develop much better control by being attuned to the following:
- Local history, more precisely history of the time and place, is much easier to keep in mind. History can greatly affect the movements and choices your family has made over the years. Chances are as you move back in time, cultures, religions, geographies, etc. will change. Your familiarity with these environments may be scant. It is much easier to learn and remember if you stay focused.
- Language, mix as few at a time as you can. Stay comfortable. I find I am comfortable in English, German and French. You will have similar limitations. Get help where you can or learn as much as you need to get by. If you stay within your cluster of competency and within a theme or time, you will find the quality of your research improves. Working in a smaller less diverse linguistic range provides for easier work.