Family History Month Day 18: Computer Based Pedigree

I'm pretty sure most people nowadays use computer programs to keep track of their family history. There are lots of wonderful programs out there. Some connect directly to genealogy websites as well. I love that. Some have mobile apps so you can take your tree on-the-go. So convenient.

Some popular programs include Legacy Family Tree, Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, Family Tree Heritage, and Ancestral Quest (there are more, but I'll stop the list there). If you haven't already, please find a good genealogy software and input your family names soon.

While most people already use software for genealogy and have built up a pedigree, one thing fewer people do is cite their sources. Every pedigree program has a way of noting the sources of your information. And it's very important. When you go to various online genealogy sites, you will connect with other genealogists, and they will want to verify the information you put there. If you know your sources of information, you can point them in the right direction and prove that your family is who you say it is.

Citing sources is very important, but not everyone does it. Websites like Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Family Search make it fairly easy to connect sources to the people in your tree. With Ancestry you need to be careful when citing someones tree as a source for yours. It is far better to use direct sources like birth records and censuses.

So, if you use genealogy software, find out how to cite your sources there, and get that data verified.