Category: Research

Question: What tools and processes do you suggest we use to transcribe NARA’s billions of pages of handwritten documents quickly and efficiently?

by lbarber, posted in Digitization, Miscellaneous, Online Research, Questions, Research

Transcribing billions of pages of handwritten documents is no easy task. Between the effects of time on paper and ink, the vagaries of individual handwriting, and history's less-than-consistent spelling conventions, making sure historic records are intelligible (much less full-text searchable!) is easier said than done. What tools and processes do you suggest we use to … Continue reading Question: What tools and processes do you suggest we use to transcribe NARA’s billions of pages of handwritten documents quickly and efficiently?

Family Tree Friday: How did your ancestors interact with the federal government?

by dstokes, posted in Family Tree Fridays, Genealogy / Family History, Research

Family research at the National Archives centers on the use of federal records.  To start the process, we always advise researchers to first consider how their ancestors may have come into contact with the federal government during the course of their daily lives.  If your great-grandparents purchased a homestead in Nebraska, they probably filed an application … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: How did your ancestors interact with the federal government?

Question: How would you like to see ordering copies of archival records work?

by Matthew Schaefer, posted in Digitization, Miscellaneous, Online Research, Reproductions, Research

As much as we love to sit in NARA's research rooms and experience the look and feel of original records, it's just not always convenient (or possible) to take a cross-country trip in the name of research. In those cases, the next best thing is to order reproductions, either through mail-order forms or online. Readers … Continue reading Question: How would you like to see ordering copies of archival records work?

Free NARA Documents on Footnote.com

by dferriero, posted in Digitization, Education, Genealogy / Family History, Online Research, Photographs, Research

Are you looking for documents by the Continental Congress, court records related to the Amistad, details on the assassination of President Lincoln, or FBI investigative case files from World War I?  You now have ready access to documents like these, which capture important American ideals and events that have shaped our country.  More than 20 … Continue reading Free NARA Documents on Footnote.com

Question: What are your favorite biographical resources, online or in print?

by lbarber, posted in Education, Genealogy / Family History, Online Research, Questions, Research, Social Media (Web 2.0)

What are your favorite sources for looking up biographies? Do you have a favorite site online, or do you swear by a particular print source? We're in the very early stages of planning a wiki for the National Archives and have recently been considering including a biography section on the site. Our tentative plan is … Continue reading Question: What are your favorite biographical resources, online or in print?

Question: What is your favorite history-, library-, or archives-related blog?

by lbarber, posted in Genealogy / Family History, Miscellaneous, Online Research, Questions, Research, Social Media (Web 2.0)

What is your favorite history-, library-, or archives-related blog? With the vast array of personal, professional, academic and commercial blogs available to readers today, it can be difficult trying to find just the right one to suit your needs. While it might be fun, who has the time to skim through 308,026 blogs? (That's the … Continue reading Question: What is your favorite history-, library-, or archives-related blog?

Question: If you could personalize your experience of NARA’s research Web pages and online catalog with a customized user account, what features would it include and how would they help you?

by lbarber, posted in Databases, Online Research, Questions, Research, Social Media (Web 2.0)

If you could personalize your experience of NARA’s research Web pages and online catalog with a customized user account, what features would it include and how would they help you? Our latest ARC update included a new feature called “My List,” which allows users to temporarily collect, print and email descriptions. These lists can be … Continue reading Question: If you could personalize your experience of NARA’s research Web pages and online catalog with a customized user account, what features would it include and how would they help you?