High-Tech Tools
to Trace Family Tree

Broadly speaking, there have been three technological innovations that help trace family trees more effectively and more efficiently.

#1. Genealogy Software

All genealogists need to organize information and create family tree charts. A huge innovation was to replace paper forms with a computer program specifically designed for genealogy.

Although there are many free or moderately priced alternatives, software reviews are beyond the scope of this site. So I’ll just tell you what I use: Family Tree Maker from Ancestry.com. It does everything I want it to do.

#2. Online Genealogy

Getting copies of certain original documents may still require trips to libraries and courthouses. But every day there is more genealogical data posted online. I know you have access to the Internet (you’re reading this page online). So take advantage of the many other online resources.

Like any printed book that attempts to document a piece of the Internet, it’s incomplete before the ink dries. But this one gets updated periodically. I have the Eighth Edition, which was published in 2008. I recommend you buy a copy and dive into it. Make sure you buy the most current edition.

#3. Genetic Genealogy

The third innovation was the application of DNA testing to genealogy. In 1999 an avid genealogist named Bennett Greenspan wanted to connect his family to another one he knew must be related. But he couldn’t find a paper trail link. So he contacted a well known geneticist working with DNA. Eventually, Mr. Greenspan founded Family Tree DNA ,The World’s First and Largest Genealogy Driven Testing Service.

That is the service that helped me end decades of secrecy to learn the surname of my birth father. And Genetic Genealogy is one of the major focuses of this web site. Keep checking back for additional information in this Family Trees section.

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