Getting Started
Welcome!
Exploring your family's history and stories is a great adventure into the past. But it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start and how to research in a way that is robust and has you finding your family and not someone else's. This page is an overview of resources the NZSG has to offer you.
Welcome New Members Page
If you haven't already, have a look at our Welcome New Members page. It has some practical advice on how to find resources on our website. It will help you get the most out of your membership.
Dragons
In our Getting It Right series of presentations, we mention “dragons”. These are things that happen in your research that can leave you feeling a little singed or burnt to a cinder. While researching your family history can be fascinating, it can bring to light things that were hidden which may be upsetting to you.
Here are some examples of where you find yourself faced with a “dragon”:
- Cultural protocols in your family about who “keeps” the family history
- Family politics – who likes who and what they may tell you about each other
- Attitudes of different generations to events such as illegitimacy, divorce etc.
All of these may result in family members being less than helpful, or long held secrets being lied about.
DNA is the newest and biggest “dragon”. Where your family and paper records may lie, DNA will not.
e-KIT
We are always adding new and interesting items to our website and our Collections. We'll announce these in our twice-monthly e-KIT. We'll also highlight resources that may have slipped under your radar.
Best Practice
There is a right way and a wrong way to research your family history. To ensure you are following best practice, have a look at our Guidelines.
Getting It Right
The best place to start is with our Starting Your Genealogical Journey resources which are part of Getting It Right. These four presentations cover:
- Where to Start
- Keeping Organised
- Searching
- New Zealand Sources
You might also find the resources under the Effective Research section of Getting It Right useful too, especially the Genealogical Proof Standard which is an underlying technique for researching your family.
Citing Your Sources
A very important part of your research is citing your sources. It gives your research credibility and ensures you know where the information in your tree came from. Barbara Wyley has written an excellent and, more importantly, simple guide to citing your sources.
NZSG Courses
The NZSG runs an Introductory Course both online or in person at the FRC in Panmure, Auckland. For the next dates for these courses, please see our Courses page.
Research Services
Our extensive Library in Auckland may not be easily accessible to you. If you have any questions about any of the resources held in our Library or would like a look-up of any the myriad of books and databases, please get in touch with Research Services. Their services are available free to you as a member.
Our Library and Research Services
Our Family Research Centre in Auckland holds New Zealand's only genealogical library. Within its vast holdings you are bound to find something useful for your research, wherever in the world it is taking you. Check out our online Library catalogue.
03/02/2024