No old genealogy yet
There is no bound family genealogy at home, but several elders can be contacted, and the goal is to first preserve authentic relationships across three to five generations.
Start with family members who can be confirmed
First Genealogy Compilation
Having no old genealogy does not mean having no family history. Start by building a basic lineage from yourself, your parents, grandparents, and verifiable relatives, then archive oral accounts, documents, photos, tombstones, and other materials item by item.
Applicable Scenarios
First determine the current stage of your materials
Projects with the same surname and the same number of people may require different working methods depending on the source materials and objectives. The following scenarios are suitable for starting with this service.
Scattered materials
Household registers, old photos, memorial texts, tombstone photos, or handwritten lists are already available and need to be consolidated into verifiable data.
Preparing a book
Some family members have already been entered, and the goal is to produce a complete genealogy book with editorial guidelines, lineage charts, personal records, and appendices.
Workflow
Every step leaves intermediate results that can be checked
We first confirm the scope and basis, then organize, verify, and sign off step by step, so that all issues are not left until the final round of revisions.
Define the scope of inclusion
Clarify the starting individuals, number of generations, branches, regions, and privacy scope for living members, and create a one-page project brief.
Establish field standards
Standardize fields for genealogical name, current name, generation character, marriage, birth and death, migration, deeds, and sources to avoid each branch writing in its own format.
Collect three direct generations first
Begin entering the people who are easiest to confirm, using unique IDs to connect parents, spouses, and children.
Interview elders
Ask questions about forms of address, people with the same name, migration, adoption, and important life experiences, keeping verbatim accounts separate from organized conclusions.
Expand each branch
Assign a data contact person for each branch, add information in batches, and mark people as not yet contacted, pending confirmation, or not public.
Handle uncertainties
Create an uncertainty log for conflicting dates, duplicate names, generational gaps, and discrepancies in oral accounts. Do not fill in ancestors by guesswork.
Review and draft completion
Confirm the lineage first, then review personal text and photos, and finally proceed to prefaces, editorial guidelines, table of contents, and layout production.
Delivery and acceptance
Deliver not only a book, but clear data and supporting evidence
| Deliverable | Contents | Acceptance Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Project and inclusion notes | Starting scope, generation criteria, rules for including women and spouses, privacy levels | Confirmed by the family representative |
| Member information form | Unique person ID, name fields, relationships, dates and places, sources | Checked by contacts from each branch |
| Lineage review draft | Relationship charts displayed by generation and branch, with connections pending verification marked | Relationships first, text afterward |
| Uncertainties and evidence table | Conflicting content, statements from each side, evidence IDs, handling conclusions | Keep a revision record |
| Genealogy book review file | Front matter, main lineage section, personal records, and end appendices | Signed off round by round |
| Digital archive package | Structured data, image directory, searchable PDF, and final files | Delivered according to agreed permissions |
Verification Principles
The primary outcome of first-time genealogy compilation is a set of authentic data that can be continuously supplemented and whose sources can be traced. Earlier ancestry can continue to be investigated, but connections must not be fabricated just to make the lineage look complete.
Preparation before starting
The clearer the preparation, the less rework the project will require
Recommended items to organize first
- Accurate names and relationships for yourself, your parents, and your grandparents
- Elders who can be contacted and data coordinators for each branch
- A list of materials such as old photos, documents, tombstones, and memorial texts
- The generations, branches, and regions you wish to include
- Public visibility scope for living members and internal family viewing rules
Things to avoid
- Directly writing legendary celebrities as ancestors
- Using the same surname or same village as a substitute for lineage evidence
- Starting detailed typesetting and printing before relationships have been confirmed
- Publicly disclosing sensitive information such as full birthdays, phone numbers, and addresses
Frequently Asked Questions
Matters to clarify before deciding the project scope
If I only know three generations, can I still compile a genealogy?
Yes. First make the three-generation relationships, names, and sources accurate, then trace further back through elder interviews and old materials. A family genealogy can be improved in phases; there is no need to wait until all materials are complete before starting.
Are daughters and spouses included?
It is recommended to truthfully include women and marital relationships, and to standardize the depth and presentation method in the editorial guidelines. Modern family genealogies place greater emphasis on fully recording family relationships.
How should uncertain birth dates be written?
Retain the original wording, such as “circa the 20th year of the Republic of China” and “the fifth lunar month,” and mark it as to be verified; do not forcibly convert it into an exact Gregorian date.
Can a book be printed after the information is entered online?
Yes. Structured personal and relationship data can be used to generate a draft lineage, but a formal printed book still requires source verification, text proofreading, and prepress checks.
Related entry points
Continue preparing materials or learn about other stages
First describe the current state of the materials, then determine the appropriate approach
For the initial consultation, you do not need to upload the complete genealogy books, identity documents, or private information of living family members. Please describe the scale, existing materials, and desired deliverables.