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How to Organize Your Genealogy Research
Learn how to organize genealogy research with a simple system for digital files, paper records, research logs and source citations that prevents repeated work.
Genealogy
Trace your roots, find your people.
Practical genealogy guides: research methods, family trees, DNA ethnicity tests and matches, and records for Italian, Polish, European, Asian, Latin and US ancestry.
76 in-depth guides 15 topics Oct 2026 latest guide
Featured guides
Guides to start with
Each one links on to more specific articles in its topic.
Sharing Family Trees on Ancestry: Who Can See What
Yes, you can share a family tree on Ancestry. Learn how invitations work, what Guest, Contributor and Editor roles allow, and how living people stay private.
Why Your Family Legacy Matters and How to Preserve It
Learn what a family legacy is, how it differs from inheritance, why it matters across generations, and practical first steps to preserve yours.
How Far Back Can a DNA Test Really Trace Your Ancestry?
How far back DNA tests can trace ancestry depends on the test type. Learn what autosomal, Y-DNA and mtDNA tests can show, and where paper records take over.
AncestryDNA Clusters Explained: Making Sense of Your Matches
Learn what DNA match clusters are, whether AncestryDNA builds them for you, and how to group your matches by ancestral line using the tools available.
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Research & Family Trees
Research methods, family trees and family legacy and heritage.
Genealogy Research Methods 8 guides, starting with How to Organize Your Genealogy Research. 8 guides Ancestry Family Trees 6 guides, starting with Sharing Family Trees on Ancestry: Who Can See What. 6 guides Family Legacy Heritage 4 guides, starting with Why Your Family Legacy Matters and How to Preserve It. 4 guides
DNA Tests
DNA ethnicity tests, matches and relatives, and DNA tree tools.
Dna Ethnicity Tests 7 guides, starting with How Far Back Can a DNA Test Really Trace Your Ancestry?. 7 guides Ancestrydna Matches Relatives 5 guides, starting with AncestryDNA Clusters Explained: Making Sense of Your Matches. 5 guides Ancestry Dna Tree Tools 5 guides, starting with How Ancestry ThruLines Work. 5 guides
Italian & Polish Roots
Italian genealogy and vital records, and Polish ancestry.
European Records
German, Bohemian and Galician, Eastern European and Western European records.
German Bohemian Galician Records 4 guides, starting with Finding Birth Records From Posen Germany. 4 guides Eastern European Records 7 guides, starting with Russian Census Records and Where to Find Them. 7 guides Western European Roots 5 guides, starting with French Genealogy Records: A Beginner’s Guide. 5 guides
World & US Records
Asian, Latin American and Caribbean records, plus US state records.
Asian Ancestry Records 3 guides, starting with Japanese Ancestry Records and the Koseki. 3 guides Latin Caribbean Records 4 guides, starting with How to Trace Mexican Ancestry: A Complete Research Guide. 4 guides Us State Records 5 guides, starting with Virginia Census Records: A Genealogist’s Guide. 5 guides