Research Help & Lookups
Pages in this section:
Some pages may be hidden if you are not logged in.
- "Best Websites" (Family Tree Magazine)
- Periodical Source Index
- Read Capers in a Library
On this page:
- GSWC Services
- Volunteer Lookups
- Online Message Boards & Mailing Lists
- Social Media-Based Research Assistance
- Library-Based Research Assistance
- Wikis
- Professional Genealogists
- Online Research Guides
GSWC Services
Research Requests
- GSWC volunteers conduct limited research at the GSWC library using the sources available there.
How to submit a research request to GSWC.
Queries for Publication
- See examples of published queries:
- Search "queries" in the Capers Subject Index to find issues with queries.
- Submit a query with the Subject Heading "Capers Query" to be published in Family History Capers.
- GSWC members can submit a query about any ancestor.
- Non-members can submit a query about Washtenaw County ancestors.
How to submit a query for publication in Family History Capers.
Volunteer Lookups
- Books We Own: Michigan Books We Own
- a list of resources owned or accessed by individuals who are willing to look up genealogical information for others
- Michigan Lookups MIGenWeb
- free lookups by volunteers
- RAOGK Volunteer Lookup Directory, Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
Online Message Boards & Mailing Lists
- Read or post queries for Washtenaw County:
- Read archived queries for Washtenaw County:
- GenForum at Genealogy.com
- RootsWeb Mailing List Archives (1990s - 2021)
- This content has been moved to Internet Archive
Social Media-Based Research Assistance
- Genealogy research groups
- Online resources where individuals can post specific questions or translation requests regarding a country or region of the world.
Library-Based Research Assistance
Many libraries have genealogy departments or a local history & genealogy collection for reference use.
- University of Michigan Hatcher Library
- Library of Michigan
- Allen County Public Library
- Local public libraries
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
- Genealogy Services > Quick Search Guides
- Search by state, subject, or country (State Snapshots, Subject Snapshots, International Snapshots)
- Periodical Source Index (PERSI) (opens the PERSI search page)
- An index of articles on genealogy and local history, chiefly in the English language covering the United States and Canada, but including an increasing number of English and French sources from Britain, Ireland and Australia.
- Contains more than 2.5 million citations from thousands of periodical titles
- How to search for an article in PERSI, GSWC (page opens in same window)
- Genealogy Services > Quick Search Guides
- Building Your Family Tree, Toledo Lucas County Public Library
- Family History Research at the Library of Michigan, Library of Michigan
- County guides (Washtenaw), Vital records
- Programs for the Public, (register / recordings / current year schedule)
- FamilySearch affiliate library
Wikis
Often a great place to start when you are delving into an unfamiliar area.
- Washtenaw County, Michigan, Genealogy, FamilySearch Wiki
- Ancestry.com Family History Wiki, RootsWeb
- from The Source & Ancestry's Red Book
Professional Genealogists
Brian Rhinehart
- Record Retrieval & Research at the National Archives
- How Do I Order Records from the National Archives for My Soldier?
ChatGPT Prompts by Mark Thompson
- Mark Thompson's Letter Summarizer-
- Summarize personal letters.
- Identify people mentioned the letter.
- Mark Thompson's Obituary Analyst
- Expert at analyzing people mentioned in obituaries and determining their relationship to the deceased.
Joe Beine
- Joe Beine: Research Guides
- Genealogy Records & Research Guides Site Map
- Census Records, Finding Aids, and Research Guides
- Genealogy Articles, Tips, and Research Guides (by record type)
- Naturalization Records and Research Guides
- Online County Histories, Biographies, and Indexes: A Genealogy Guide
- Military Records and Research Guides
- Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Research Guides
- USA Genealogy Sources and Vital Records Guides
- Joe Beine: Finding Records Online
- Finding Passenger Lists & Immigration Records, 1820-1940s
- Michigan Vital Records Indexes: Michigan Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
- Online Michigan Death Records & Indexes
- Places to Find U.S. Naturalization Records and Indexes Online
- U.S. Census Records: 1790-1950: Clues & Research Tips (with links to online indexes)
Online Research Guides
LDS Genealogy
- U.S. Genealogy Records Directory, LDS Genealogy
- by state
- by record type
- Washtenaw County MI Minority Records, LDS Genealogy
- Washtenaw County MI Miscellaneous Records, LDS Genealogy
- Washtenaw County MI School Records, LDS Genealogy
- Washtenaw County MI Tax Records, LDS Genealogy
Linkpendium
- Washtenaw County, Michigan: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More, Linkpendium
MIGenWeb
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
- RAOGK State of Michigan Records Guide, Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness"
- Washtenaw County, Michigan Records," RAOGK
RootsWeb
- "RootsWeb," RootsWeb
- family trees, mailing lists, message boards, websites