One of the most common pieces of genealogy advice is also one of the best: start with what you know and work backward.
That sounds simple. In practice, however, there is an important second half to the rule.
Start with what you know—but make sure you know why you believe it.
A family tree assembled from memory, handwritten notes, online trees, and stories passed down through several generations can give you an excellent starting point. It can also contain assumptions, merged identities, incorrect dates, and details that became more certain each time the story was repeated.
The beginning of good family-history research is therefore not filling as many boxes as possible. It is establishing a documented starting point, identifying what remains uncertain, and deciding which question you want the evidence to answer next.
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