Beyond Your Backyard
Why Genealogists Should Read Outside Their Specialty
When you hit a research wall, the solution might not come from another book about your local records—it could come from a journal about a place you've never researched. Reading genealogy journals outside your specialty area is one of the most underutilized strategies for becoming a better researcher.
Learning Research Methods, Not Just Facts
The real value in reading journals from unfamiliar regions isn't the specific families or locations they cover—it's the research methodology. Whether an article traces ancestors through city directories in Pennsylvania or land records in Ohio, the underlying research process remains consistent. You're learning how to approach problems, not just absorbing facts about particular places.
Consider this: an article about tracing German immigrants in Wisconsin might introduce you to a record type or search strategy that perfectly solves your brick wall with Irish ancestors in Boston. The sources differ, but the systematic approach to research transfers beautifully.
Preparing for Unexpected Research Paths
Your ancestors rarely stayed put in convenient locations. Eventually, you'll need to research someone who wandered far from your usual stomping grounds. When that happens, journals covering those areas become invaluable crash courses in local records and resources.
These journals often contain more current, detailed information about regional resources than general guidebooks. They'll tell you which courthouse burned, which records survived, and which databases have been recently digitized, information that can save you hours of fruitless searching.
Finding Your Voice as a Researcher
Different journals showcase dramatically different approaches to presenting genealogical findings, and studying these variations can transform your own work. Recently, I compared journals from Pennsylvania and Ohio genealogical societies. The Pennsylvania journal featured meticulous documentation with extensive footnotes and detailed source analysis. The Ohio journal took a more narrative approach, weaving family stories with minimal citations.
Both styles have merit and seeing them side-by-side helped me understand how presentation affects readability and credibility. Your choice of format should match your audience and purpose—but you can only make informed choices when you've seen the options.
Tapping Into Living Databases
Modern genealogy journals function as dynamic databases of ongoing research. Unlike static reference books, they track the evolution of research problems over time. You might find someone else wrestling with the same brick wall you're facing or discover that a family you'd given up on has been partially solved by another researcher.
Major repositories like the New England Historic Genealogical Society are digitizing extensive journal collections, making publications like The American Genealogist, New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine searchable and accessible. This digitization transforms scattered articles into a powerful research tool.
Getting Started
Many genealogical societies sell surplus journals—incomplete sets they can't use in their libraries. These represent affordable opportunities to explore new research territories while supporting local organizations. Check society websites and ask at meetings about available back issues.
The investment in reading broadly pays dividends when you least expect it. That article about Vermont probate records might seem irrelevant today, but when you discover your great-grandfather's brief stint in Montpelier, you'll be grateful for the preparation.
The Bottom Line
Genealogy research thrives on pattern recognition and methodological flexibility. By reading outside your comfort zone, you're not just learning about other places—you're building a toolkit of approaches that will serve you wherever your research leads. In a field where the next breakthrough often comes from an unexpected direction, keeping your research horizons broad isn't just helpful, it's essential.
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Originally written for the now-defunct In-Depth Genealogist blog. You can find the original via the WayBack Machine at archive.org.