Week 4: Using Online Resources Quiz
Question 1: You're searching for "Heinrich Mueller" in 1920 census records, but finding no results. Your next search strategy should be:
Search for "Henry Miller" using soundex and wildcard searches
Search only in German-speaking communities
Try different years (1910 and 1930) first
Switch to searching for his wife's name instead
Question 2: You found a family tree on Ancestry that claims your ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War, but it has no source citations. What's your best approach?
Accept it since it's on a reputable genealogy site
Contact the tree owner to ask for their sources
Use it as a research lead but verify with original records
Ignore it completely since it lacks citations
Question 3: On FindAGrave, you discover a memorial for your ancestor with a photo of a headstone, but the death date conflicts with your family Bible. How should you proceed?
Believe the headstone since it's a contemporary marker
Trust the family Bible since it was kept by relatives
Research who created the memorial and verify the headstone photo's accuracy
Average the two dates to find a compromise
Question 4: You're having trouble finding records for an ancestor with the surname "Kowalski." A genealogy Facebook group suggests checking records under "Kowalsky," "Kowalskie," and "Kowell." This demonstrates:
The value of community knowledge and surname variations
Why you should avoid social media for genealogy research
That Polish surnames are too difficult to research
The need to stick to exact spelling matches
Question 5: On FamilySearch, you find a record that matches your ancestor's name and approximate birth year, but it's from a location 200 miles from where you expected. Your best next step is:
Dismiss it as the wrong person due to the location difference
Accept it and change your ancestor's birthplace in your records
Research migration patterns and look for connecting records
Search for a different person with the same name
Question 6: You're using multiple genealogy databases and finding conflicting information about the same person. What's the most effective strategy for resolving these discrepancies?
Choose the information from the most expensive database
Create a research log comparing all sources and their reliability
Go with the majority opinion across databases
Focus only on free sources to avoid bias