Begin with the basic ones like dates (of birth, marriages and death), family names and first names (use of paternal last name, name after marriage, Chinese last names, middle names and nicknames, etc), occupations and places. After gathering all these, read on for the free stuff offered on genealogical sites: Genealogical forms for downloading like charts as basis for the family tree, calendar (used for research), forms for note taking, deed indexes (grantors and grantees), checklist for libraries or archives the researcher visited), journals and worksheets for research, table of contents, index for marriages (statewide), and vital records.

Just be aware that your family name now may have already been altered many times or corrupted forms of your original surname. Pronunciations and spellings have changed over the centuries and it can be difficult to determine family name origins. However, don t be discouraged. With a lot of patience and a little luck, you'll find out more about your ancestors.

Aside from FamilySearch.org, there are other sites that can be used to look for your family name history. GenExchange.org, familytreemaker.com, kindredkonnections, and Ancestry.com, to name a few. All of these are very similar when it comes to their features such as offering databases that could contain up to 2 billion names!

As people begin to gather information about past generations, they do not only unearth the names of their ancestors but also such information as the way they have lived their lives and what motivated them. In the process, other relevant information such as political setting, conditions in the society, and how their ancestors have immigrated could also be established.

Just like the radical system, you will need to identify the radical first and count the number of strokes. The said character will have its specific pinyin pronunciation then you can look on the alphabetized pinyin spelling just like the ordinary English dictionary. This is jus a brief overview of the enriched tradition in Chinese characters.

Be open When asking, try as much as possible to be flexible, catering your questions to each interviewees digressions. These details could bring valuable information that though unexpected could be a vital treasure. However, do not also forget to stay on track. Be courteous and considerate Be as polite as possible.